The School tour reviews

Found a couple of reviews of my sets on the School tour. They both seemed to like me.

from the Bush Hall gig - picture by acb (click to his flickr)

“Some mighty deep songs, in the context of the universe what about the Mona Lisa, and some mighty shallow stuff about going to PizzaExpress. Imagine MJ Hibbett crossed with Denim and you’d be in the right brane.”
Ill and Ancient

(I don’t recall writing a song about pizza express but I could be wrong…)

“There seems to be a knotty heart to each song, circled by an esoteric braininess and some killer one-liners that I signally fail to write down”
The Joy Collective

Reviews roundup

Here’s a quick roundup of reviews so far for ‘Fight My Battles For Me’. Most people seem to like it, which is good.

The main criticism seems to be of how long it is, which is kind of fair. The rationale behind the length was that it was partly a compilation, partly something that could stand up as an overview if it turned out to be the only PWL record ever given a wide release. So I just erred on the side of ‘yes, include this song’.

I think the length of an album is probably more noticeable to reviewers who, ideally, will sit and listen to the thing all the way through several times to get a feel for it. At an hour long, a record by a band you’ve never heard before is a bit of a demand on your time. Assuming they listen more than once. Which they probably don’t.

Most people these days, I suspect, listen to albums in chunks en route to wherever they’re going. This is how I got into ‘Blueberry Boat’ – it’s far too long to take in one go. But in 15-20 minute bursts you can digest it more easily.

That said, short albums are better. Long before this record got any reviews I’d already decided the followup was going to be shorter, but I think I’ve said this before…

Other news is that the single of ‘Bridge of Sighs’ is out now on download sites with two b-sides taken from the album sessions. No physical release.

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Anyway here are the reviews with choice quotes duly filched. If you find any more let me know.

“what Regan’s music lacks in sophistication it makes up with a slightly unhinged, puerile charm.”
http://www.musicomh.com/albums/pagan-wanderer-lu_0609.htm

“a motorway pile-up of musical styles and ideas, brilliantly inventive, daring and at times thrilling”
http://www.forfolkssake.com/articles/329

“In other hands such a political bent would be a bit cloying but here, enswathed in seething electronica and fundamentally catchy hooks, it works surprisingly well”
http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2009/06/pagan-wanderer-lu-%E2%80%93-fight-my-battles-for-me/

“an intriguing mix of styles that keeps you hooked on the strength of its sheer invention… deserves more attention than it will probably get.”
http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/entertainment/music/who-s-next-/pagan-wanderer-lu-fight-my-battles-me-$1308276.htm

“witty and often ascerbic lyrical goodness with increasingly pop sensibilities”
http://virtualdebris.co.uk/weblog/?id=251

“His music seems to inhabit a World where the Casio keyboard is God and lo-fi folk comes a close second. I’m absolutely charmed by it.”
http://www.thebeatsurrender.co.uk/daily/recordbox/fight-my-battles-for-me-pagan-wanderer-lu/

“Honest and poignant lyrics add a meaningful socio-political backbone to the catchy tunes”
http://theheadsupblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/subject-pagan-wanderer-lu.html

“Were you to try and create a musician for me to admire, I’d think it hard for anyone to come up with anything more suitable than Pagan Wanderer Lu.”
http://nuttyxander.com/2009/03/pagan-wanderer-lu-fight-my-battles-for-me/

“a particularly tasty slice of DIY/folktronica/funtime”
http://robotsmademedoit.blogspot.com/2009/06/pagan-wanderer-lu-fight-my-battles-for.html

“His lounge based alt.tronica combines a series of bedroom mumbling croons with more than the occasional clatter of programmed squeaks and rough pulses.”
http://www.music-dash.co.uk/releases/release.asp?item=6278