Okay, so I promised I would start this intermittent blog post about albums that are, in my treasured opinion, severely underrated. I've decided to start with a relatively new effort that did not even get an US release. This would be Guy Garvey's debut solo album "Courting The Squall" from 2015. Mr. Garvey is the lead singer of the British band Elbow whose entire catalogue has been available in the states and have become somewhat of a cult favorite here in the States but are a big deal across the pond. In fact, their last album went to #1 in the UK(#83 in the US) and "Courting The Squall" reached UK#3. Garvey's voice is a bit reminiscent of Peter Gabriel although he doesn't have quite the range.
His solo debut is a departure from the mostly hushed tones of recent Elbow releases and has more of a electronic bent with a minimalist production style. The songs have more of a kick and a groove than a typical Elbow song which is a compliment. "Angela's Eyes" starts things off with a wild beat and Garvey proclaiming he's been 'looking for the truth since God was a boy' and some bizarre keyboard sounds. The title track sounds more like an Elbow tune but more experimental musically and lyrically.
You can buy this album for a very reasonable rate as an import and you really should, especially if you are an Elbow fan or even if you'd just like to spin something new to dance to that isn't your run of the mill EDM.
