Originally written by James Moore · 9 October 2000
Brave Captain
Go With Yourself
Label: Wichita Release Date: 09/10/2000
**Martin Carr releases his first full-length album. Gorwel Owen, Dafydd
Ieuan, Peter Richardson and a couple of people (that I should probably know),
guest on the album.**
The results are an incredibly personal collection of love ballads, political
rants and damn right depressing tunes.
The album opens with 'The Monk Jumps Over The Wall' it's a two minute
affair but in that short time Carr & co manage to use every instrument under
the sun. It's a optimistic start and Gorwel Owen has made a considerable
improvement to the song which was previously available on the Keith Cameron/XFM
compilation 'Carve It Up'. Up next is 'Assembly Of The Unrepresented' it
starts as a simple acoustic number but then heavy fuzzy guitars ala My Bloody
Valentine and a very bluesy harmonica are added to create a more unsettling
mood, after a while the tremendous vocals finish and it ends as an instrumental
which it's one of the highlights on the album.
The first love song is 'Tell Her You Want Her' lets just say it's not
Carr's greatest moment in his career and move onto 'Where Is My Head'.
Where Carr shows he proud of his roots and isn't scared to share his opinion,
"betrayed by governments for centuries now, who take our music and
football, who pat us on the head on compliment our humour". It's not
exactly a classic but has one of the messiest endings you'll likely to hear this
month.
In a few interview's Carr has listed Gorky's as one of the few bands he loves
and on 'Ein Hoff Le' there influence shows, it's a breathtaking acoustic
love ballad that will have you singing along and taping your feet.
However 'Hermit Versus The World' is probably the finest song on the CD
it begins life as a tender love song, then at three-thirds of the way into the
song the trumpets and violin join forces, and it turns into a gorgeous track
that will have you humming all day long. If that's not your thing there's **'Running
Off The Ground'**. Where Carr looks back at his life "I have spent so
many days, to keep count stoned out my head, though I've made so many friends, I
have lost some that I've loved" it's backed by thunderous guitars and
superb piano and strings sections.
The next song 'Reuben' takes you back a couple of years. It's the most
cheerful track he's done under the guise of Brave Captain and very Boos-esque, I
guarantee that every single one of you will love this song. The album ends with
the title track 'Go With Yourself' which is a story about how Carr came
to live in Liverpool. It's a lengthy track at nearly nine minutes, despite being
so long it doesn't get tiresome, as there are plenty of time changes and
instrument switches.
Definitely one the best albums of this. If you like music mixed buy a
copy.
• 8 James Moore's Score