Random Records: Guy Garvey - Courting the Squall (2015)
When established band members release solo records, you typically get the answer for one of two questions. You either find out exactly what it is that the member in question brings to their band - the influences, the songwriting nuances, the concepts, you name it. Or, alternatively, you inadvertently find out what the other members of the band contribute to the proceedings.
Courting the Squall, Elbow frontman Guy Garvey's first and to-date last solo album is going to be immediately friendly and familiar to any fan of the band. A huge part of that lies of course in Garvey's voice, so synonymous is his Northern drawl with his band, and so you can't help but be reminded of Elbow just through his poetically floral depictions of everyday emotions and the melodies they're uttered with. A leopard can't really hide its spots. But musically we're also on safe ground here, Garvey carrying on from his day job's combination of art rock flair, pop-sized hooks and surprising amount of subtle groove to such a degree that you could question why there was a need to release this as solo material to begin with. Elbow were apparently on a small break after a busy few years, that's why, and hence Courting the Squall simply happened.
But it's Elbow with something it's missing. It's missing the lush layered textures, the minimalist yet integral guitars, the lively flowing bass that brings it all together. Most notably, it's missing the impactful songwriting. Courting the Squall is almost sparse as the center of attention is on Garvey's booming voice and the steady shuffling drumbeats under it, with other instruments placed in very carefully measured amounts: here's a gentle piano flourish, here's a passage of keyboard accents, here's a dash of horns, here's a bass part that kicks to life a little more than a few notes here and there. It seems to be an unwritten rule that only one instrument gets to have the spotlight at any given time, aside from the front-and-center drums which are always face-to-face with Garvey's presence. And, that could be a bold and interesting choice, if not for the other thing that's glowing in its absence, i.e. any memorable songs. Courting the Squall often feels like skeletal renditions of songs still in progress, waiting for their final melodies and arrangements to be placed - and while Garvey's vocal melodies and occasional vocal layering sometimes has the impact associated with his voice, it's not enough to carry the album. Out of the ten songs, the only ones that stick with me are the lead single "Angela's Eyes" that launches into a hurling flurry of abrasively-hitting sounds in the album's most full-on arranged moment, and the lurching "Yesterday" which is the best interpretation of what the album tries to reach for and comes with its best chorus. And, admittedly, I never choose to go out my way to listen to them either.
Perhaps it's not a surprise that less than a year from its release the local Fopp was doing its darnest to offload their excess stock by putting a £2 price sticker on the album and placing it right by the tills to entice people for a whim purchase. I did my part.