Although The Pogues (www.pogues.com) are always recognised for the quality of their wayward frontman Shane MacGowan's bawdily brilliant songs, they actually have several quality writers in their ranks. Jem Finer, Phil Chevron and Darryl Hunt have all contributed and Hunt's song Love Her Till The End was recently used in the popular movie P.S I Love You(www.psiloveyoumovie.com).
Darryl Hunt's Song Love Her Till The End Featured in the Movie P.S I Love You
Encouraged by this success, Hunt has written ten unassuming, but consistently fine tunes for Surrounded By Mountains. It's his second album under the Bish moniker and it finds him moving to centre stage to sing and play rhythm guitar instead of accepting his customary role on bass.
An established team player, Hunt has brought in guitarist Knut Knutson, bassist Bernd Hartwich and drummer Andreas Hohne to establish Bish's group identity. Long-term indie stalwart Debsey Wykes (ex-Dolly Mixture) also acts as a sympathetic vocal foil on several key tracks such as Cynthia and the fuzzy, Velvet Underground-style pop of World Turns Around You.
Bish: Surrounded By Mountains' Bittersweet Guitar Pop Sound
Musically, the album's bittersweet, jangly pop sound is closer to literate indie outfits like The Go-Betweens and Spearmint than The Pogues. Jaunty tunes like Call My Name and Tale of Two Cities have folky, two-step rhythms, but Hunt's gentle, personal songs burrow under the listener's skin on their own terms. Indeed, only the hardest heart could deny the lovely innocence of a song like I Just Want To Hold You.
Hunt has a likeably easy vocal delivery. He's hardly a natural frontman, but his laconic voice has a touch of The Lightning Seeds' Ian Broudie and his inherent world-weariness is ideal for break-up songs such as Feel A Lot Better or the acoustic intimacy of Blue Today.
Bish producer Brian O'Shaughnessy: Work with Primal Scream
Producer Brian O'Shaughnessy is also a good choice. With a CV including Primal Scream and My Bloody Valentine, this in-demand London-based producer knows all about great guitar sounds. He brings a brightness and warmth to the record's overall sound and keeps the sonic trickery to a minimum. It's an approach with suits these slow-burning songs to a T.
Surrounded By Mountains' overall consistency ensures its' 35 minutes simply breeze by. Hunt and co. save arguably the best for last and the song All Alone. It has a deceptively sweet melody, but Hunt's 'will she, won't she?' lyrics leave the record's emotional conclusion hanging in the balance. In time-honoured fashion, it leaves the door open for a possible sequel.
Comparing Bish with Darryl Hunt's more famous band is a redundant exercise. He plays an important role in fashioning The Pogues hi-octane Folk-Punk thrills, but that's irrelevant here. With Surrounded By Mountains he's created a quiet, tuneful guitar pop triumph which stands on its' own two feet. It's a pleasant surprise for anyone open-minded enough to give it a listen.
Tim Peacock - Tim has been involved in Rock Music journalism for the past twenty years. He was a staff writer with the popular U.K weekly publication ...
