While many singer-songwriters tend to get an overblown sense of their self-importance, firing off songs imbued with, in their minds at least, some quasi-mystical enlightenment or philosophical truth, the brilliantly named “Man With A Corduroy Heart” deals with much more everyday matters. He not only deals with such matters but finds a simple beauty in those mundane activities. And that is what actually makes him a much more important, relevant, and definitely more fun person to have around.
His messages are much more relatable than those of those self-appointed modern-day gap-year troubadours in their wide-brimmed hats, skinny jeans, hippy skirts, and wielding the sort of overblown lyricism last heard coming out of the mouth of a 17th-century romantic poet. His themes are more likely to be about caravan ownership as a metaphor for aging, the joys of a new life in the family, the educational value of television, or the realities of the live gig experience.
And with the latest one, “ I’m A Little Bit Short,” we are back in the territory of the problems faced by the jobbing musician. The title refers not, as might be assumed, to the author’s height but to the amount of change in his pocket, or more accurately, the lack of it. Someone buy the man a beer or two, will you?
As always, the music is as direct and honest, fun and accessible as his lyrics. It is a perfect combination of folky flow, soulful guitar licks, a lilting groove, and indie cool.
This is the art of gentle self-depreciation, an artist poking fun at his own situation, a dose of reality, the honest truth being laid bare, and that truth really comes down to one thing….rock and roll, it’s not as rock and roll as you might think!
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