Welsh guitarist Richard Thomas is looking forward with Hot Moon, the latest album his Mint Biscuit project. Grief is still part of the equation - the death of his father pops up in quite a few tracks, albeit indirectly. If anything he is showing a renewed apprecoation for the little things, like the footwear of his wife (Laces Of Your Shoe) or paying visits to his family (Stompington Meadows, a place that will ring a bell with Pink Floyd fans).
It looks that Thomas has found his bearings again and it shows in the energy that is a vital ingredient of his bluesy rockers (You Just Want To Give Me Your Germs) and psychedelic pop excursions like Mealworms and Summer Song, a track that references both later day Floyd and Dylan's All Along The Watchtower in a deviant show of joy. O, and there's Tulips, which mentions this blog resident genius. That is a first for sure.
Hot Moon is a celebration of nature and the people he holds most dear. Brutally honest and endearing as well, and it proves that recording on a shoestring budget can lead to intimacy and urgency, two vital ingredients that are missing on most records that cost a shitload of money to make.
Hot Moon is a self-released album. Buy it from his website.
Tracks:- Hot Moon
- Nine Twenty-Four
- Laces Of Your Shoe
- The Gardener
- Grassland Blues
- Can't Remember Why
- Had A Gutful
- Mealworms
- Tulips
- Half-Baked
- You Just Want To Give Me Your Germs
- Stompington Meadows
- Summer Song
- Spanish Brown Cow Blues
- Slow Roller
- Toadstool Blues
- Wavy Evening
- Blue Light Smiles
- Somebody Lyrics Confusion