★★☆☆☆
Two Stars
The last album from Daniel Woolhouse, aka Deptford Goth, was a mélange of synths rising and falling, drum beats effortlessly switching time signature and vocals blending into the music like an extra instrument. Woolhouse’s immersive, involving sound on Life After Defo lent depth to lyrics, which, though of mixed quality, revealed occasional shimmering moments of insight.
Songs is a more pedestrian album, in the vein of Overgrown James Blake rather than Bat For Lashes. Woolhouse has now given his vocals more prominence, but it doesn’t quite come off.
While James Blake’s piercing croon cuts through minimal backing music like a hot diamond through ice, Deptford Goth sounds a bit more like he’s melting. ‘Lovers’ has none of the lyrical intrigue of previous hit ‘Feel Real’, and songs like ‘Do Exist’ come across merely as filler.
There are highlights, though. ‘We Symbolise’ sees Woolhouse take to the piano and, as interweaving synths blend behind him, push out wonderfully baffling, but beautifully tragic, lyrics. “I fell down / Things all look bad to me / Where can I go?”.
For some reason, lead single ‘Two Hearts’ doesn’t come in until the album is almost over. With its hypnotic rhythm and dreamy synths, it lulls and it soothes. “Love is enough,” says the refrain. This album is not. And what sort of a name is Songs, anyway?
