Kim Churchill - Silence/Win
7/10
Kim Churchill has busked his way from Australia through to performing at Glastonbury with personal tales of chasing dreams, being happy and remaining true to oneself. Easy sentiments to capture when you are raised in New South Wales and spend four to five hours catching waves each day instead of trains.
Recapturing that carefree spirit in a studio is hard. With experienced Canadian producer Warne Livesy at the controls, Silence/Win never quite manages to bottle that essence of Australian sunshine. The antipodean charm and charisma has been rinsed out in the wash. Or perhaps too many extra touches were added for the big label debut. Wrapping Churchill in a more sophisticated package risks losing the freshness and simplicity of his live performances and first three albums. Therefore, opener Single Spark ignites in a flourish that mimics Vampire Weekend. The single, Window To The Sky, showcases an impressive vocal range but doesn't need the Mumford trumpets. And Fear The Fire fails to benefit from the Oriental embellishment.
However, Only Time Can Take You On is still a potential folk anthem in the making and, together with Rage and You Are Lost, there are genuine moments of sensitivity and nuance to prompt comparisons with Nick Drake. And the bluesy harmonica on Canopy builds to an enthralling climax. From Don't Leave Your Life Too Long and the reflective Backwards Head emerges a maturing awareness that any flower can wilt before having had a chance to properly bloom.
Be reassured. Cultivate that honesty and lightness of touch, prune out the unnecessary flourishes, and the next batch of seed could produce best in show.
7/10
