Co-Pilgrim: Pucker Up Buttercup (Rhythmethod)

A few years ago there was a hopeful movement started in the UK: it came with the slogan "Quiet is the New Loud".

Movements which get a slogan before a following are usually shortlived, and so it was with that one -- although to be fair a lot of pretty and quiet albums arrived subsequently, but most from bands we never heard of again.

Singer-songwriter Mike Gale (who is Co-Pilgrim, with ring-in friends) certainly knows the power of quiet and this short (thirtysomething minutes) album has a lot of impact for a collection where the pulses seldom race.

Already some writers are making reference to an alt.country Brian Wilson, others citing Richard Swift and I am sure Nick Drake's name can't be too far off. Maybe he is a bit of all these (a very small bit) and this album is his first solo outing after his previous group Black Nielson (never heard them myself) broke up.

I suspect these are his clearing-house songs before he settles into something serious. If so then we are in for a treat because there are lovely songs here. He clearly has Wilson's ear for an arrangement and packs a lot of melodic information into his concise songs.

This is gentle, sad-but-sunny stuff.