Butler-Williams - Keep Your Head Down
 

Duo acts rarely seem to pack much instrumentation into their acts unless they are powered by some all powerful leeching label and thus have 5000 trumpet playing mice at their beckon-call which [let's face it] is simply just cheating. So, it's quite refreshing to hear Butler-Williams (that's Chris Butler & Noel Williams just in-case you though it was just a really posh bloke, thankfully hailing from Manchester makes that impossible!) and the variety that they have jammed into the four-track predominantly acoustic based E.P. titled 'Keep Your Head Down'.

Opening with the title track and my initial reaction is that they have forgot to remove the click-track and boy is that going to be annoying but of course it ain't no damn click-track but more of a chop block add to that some shaker and a delightful little xylophone melody and your already in a more peaceful place - not quite Buddha chilled but close. 'Keep Your Head Down' is actually kept relatively simple and is all the better for it, though I have one definite thing to mention, it's a joy to hear some theremin elsewhere other than by Bill Bailey.

'Chop Chop' is much more relaxed (yes it's possible people, who needs pot?!) and more sparse than the first track. It doesn't quite click into place for me but then it depends what your striving to hear and adhere to, I want the track to hit the sentimentality of say a Bon Iver track which of course it doesn't but it's pleasant and I guess that's not a bad thing. I'd rather hear pleasant than say something that makes my ears bleed and my eyes melt.


With 'Seeds' there's something more melancholic about the vocal delivery and melody that's much more attractive. Also again we get the implementation of some unexpected instrumentation such as a Banjo plucked and just briefly inserted, I like the surprise of these moments. Butler-Williams try going for the harmonious vocal delivery together here and it just fails to strengthen the track, whereas the solo delivery is much more mournful and fitting of the tonality of the track.

Finishing up with 'Leave It Be'. Again it's a simplistic track [aren't most acoustic tracks] that again throws in a few curve-balls just as a kind of 'ha-ha didn't see that coming' statement. 'Leave it Be' only runs under 2 minutes so doesn't have time to really make an impression [which is it's let down] but it's final coda of "Leave it be" that's multi-tracked and delayed is a welcome little moment.

Overall a nice little E.P. that's full of moments of pleasure and interesting deliveries when all you are really expecting is some straight ahead acoustic strum and mild-mannered vocals.

Track-listing:
1. Keep Your Head Down
2. Chop Chop
3. Seeds
4. Leave It Be

Butler - Williams on MySpace Music
Buy Now at Piccadilly Records