#LookingForTheWorld
London based Michael Armstrong releases his second album, ‘#LookingForTheWorld’. What follows is a musical journey that takes us right back to the good old days. It is a real musical nod to the sounds of Paul McCartney, ELO, Bob Dylan and Steely Dan, to name but a few.
The album sounds huge, but surprisingly most of the instruments are played by Armstrong himself and his co producer, Warren Bennett. The pair have created a solid full sound, reminiscent of ELO or later Beatles recording. There were other musicians on the album, of course, not least, legendary guitarist Elliott Randall, famed for his work with Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers. Other musicians include Stephen Walters on Bass Guitar, Ed Barker on Saxophones & Clarinet, Keith Bayley on more Guitars, Simon Lockyer on Cello & Strings and Gavin Thomas on Harmonica.
Michael is a true wordsmith, musically the album is second to none, but lyrically the album is at another level. Stand out songs include ‘Too Many Cars’, the album opener, which I guess can be described as the precursor to what is yet to come. It is a suitable prologue to the rest of the album, different enough to be a standalone song, but musically it includes a lot of the themes and ideas that make up the rest of the album. The lyric ‘too many thoughts in my head’ relate to the following thirteen songs and what is yet to come.
Another song that I particularly enjoyed was ‘The Haunting of Betty Biggs’. This is a darker song; there is a definite change in mood with this track. Musically it switches between major and minor keys and introduces the listener to the frustrations of an artist’s life, ‘all of this frustration will eat you up inside’. The track paves way for the next track on the album and my personal favourite, ‘Gypsy’.
There is a definite nod to singer songwriters like Bob Dylan here. ‘Gypsy’ feels almost busked, it uses simple busker like chords and gradually builds up throughout the song. Beginning with a solitary guitar and harmonica, throughout the song, more and more instruments join in, until, by the end, the whole band is jamming along. Another story song, it tells the tale of a gypsy out begging on Parliament hill, who runs into the story teller, the song is the story of their two intertwined fates.
Overall, #LookingForTheWorld is a modern, contemporary album that is built to last. These songs will stand the test of time I’m sure. Someone said ‘they don’t write songs like they used to’, well Michael Armstrong certainly does. Unlike many of the pop artists around today, Michael Armstrong is a name that will still be around in years to come.
You can listen to Michael talking about the album here
