ALBUM OF THE YEAR....

 

DAVE UNDERHAND AND THE DAZE OF RAPTURE – A Man With No Alibi (*A REVIEW*)

‘A Man With No Alibi' is Dave Underhand's debut solo album, Ten tracks of eclectic, stripped back and naked Punk Rock Blues'n'Soul, with some added sonic experimentation. 

The songs on ‘The Man With No Alibi' were written five years ago, and planned for a purely acoustic album, until Dave met up with old friend Del Bartle (Sid Presley Experience and The Godfathers.) and thanks to Dels production skills, Dave’s vision, Milly Collins backing vocals, Matt ‘Willis' Williams Drumming and Jimmy Fitzgeralds mastering it turned into a more adventurous musical journey that captures moods and feelings of the personal and the political within a simple and expansive ambient and electric soundscape.  It is a moving and emotional listen, but amongst the sadness in several of the songs there is positivity and hope in others.

Misunderstood is all weeping guitars and haunting floating backing vocals from Milly.  Anniversary is a neo folk mix up that sounds like Strummer/Springsteen. Then there's Fools and Heroes a spine tingling reflective simple strum, while Elusive  is a mournful, moody and slightly menacing spikeadelic electronic hum, these are just some of the highlights.

‘A Man With No Alibi' is a work of beauty.  Hearts and souls are laid bare with honest, real and raw emotions and musical risks have been taken. If Band of The Underhands ‘A Long Way Home’ was Dave’s London Calling, then this is his Sandinista! Brilliant stuff! Available now to download at Amazon, Bandcamp and other usual suspects. Another contender for album of the year.