Paul Smith: Margins (CD on Billingham Records)

Band: Paul Smith
Label: Billingham Records
Title: Margins

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Band:Paul Smith
Title:Margins
Reviewed By:Dixie Ernill
Date Published:13/11/2010

Label:Billingham Records
Format:CD
Release Year:2010
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Taking a break from fronting Maximo Park after three solid albums of jaunty indie-pop, singer Paul Smith releases his debut solo record, 'Margins'.

Whilst Smith's trademark Geordie accent and clever lyrical phrasings are present and correct throughout, he does explore the musical boundaries without the constraints of his band mates and in the main it works.

Current single 'Our Lady of Lourdes' is a glorious hypnotic swirl of a number and 'I Drew You Sleeping' is the kind of breezy pop song that Badly Drawn Boy excels in. Elsewhere there is a definite hint of Candidate in the likes of 'Improvement/Denoucement', 'I Wonder If' and 'While You're in the Bath' and even a dash of underground Manchester duo the Montgolfier Brothers in the fine 'Alone, I Would Have Dropped'.

Smith doesn't completely turn his back on songs in a Maximo Park style either with opening track 'North Atlantic Drift', 'Strange Friction' and 'Dare Not Dive' all being uptempo enough to grace the band's albums, if not quite as instant as previous hits 'Graffiti' or 'Going Missing'.

In 'Margin Smith has created an album that is unlikely to alienate any of his old fans, but may well bring him some new ones, which, in these fickle times, is not as straighforward as it sounds.

Track Listing:

01) North Atlantic Drift
02) The Crush And The Shatter
03) Improvement/Denouement
04) Strange Fiction
05) While You're In The Bath
06) This Heat
07) I Drew You Sleeping
08) Alone, I Would've Dropped
09) Dare Not Dive
10) I Wonder If
11) Our Lady Of Lourdes
12) The Tingles
13) Pinball

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Excellent and frequently surprising debut solo album from Maximo Park singer, Paul Smith

Paul Smith and the Intimations:Deaf Institute, Manchester, 3/12/2010
Dixie Ernill watches Maximo Park front man Paul Smith play a forceful solo set at the Deaf Institute in Manchester

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Margins - CD
Excellent and frequently surprising debut solo album from Maximo Park singer, Paul Smith

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