Simon Connor – Seaside Surprise [EP]

May 18, 2009, 01:21 AM

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Appearing solo as well as with a backing band on stage, Manchester based singer/ guitarist Simon Connor's first outlet offstage ‘Seaside Surprise’ is a good example of his work, showing his abilities to change personal experiences into film themed stories.

The EP starts off with the spooky ‘Open Fire’, an intense song about a women obsessed by her almost ex-boyfriend. Who, considering the line ‘I just watch you burn’, isn’t really on the same line as her anymore and who sees the relationship ending in a ring of fire instead of in a circle of flowers. The imaginative lyrics and bombastic violins create a dark atmosphere reminiscent of the old Hitchcock films and shows Connor at his best.

Second song on the bill, title track ‘Seaside Surprise’, also discusses a relationship that doesn’t really work out, but this time disappointment is the main character. Thanks to the clever, sparse guitar arrangement the song rises above itself, proving that Connors songs don’t necessarily need a huge production to get the listeners attention.

It only goes wrong with song number three, ‘Brittle Branches’. Here the song actually suffers from the arrangements, as the singer chose to use the same heavy treatment as on ‘Open Fire’. But, as the video clip on his Myspace site already proved, the complete opposite – guitar and voice only - works out a lot better, making this one a bit of a missed opportunity. Last song ‘Empty Word’ is a nice little song with personal confessions, but it’s just not special enough to compete with ‘Open Fire’ and ‘Seaside Surprise’.

Though Connor shows he has a lot of talent when it comes to lyrics and arrangements, he never really stands out. The main problem is that he limits his voice when it comes to range and tone, which makes the songs sound monotone. And experimenting with arrangements wouldn’t harm him either, especially the – already unnecessarily-arrangements of ‘Brittle Branches’ that leans a bit too much towards the work of Nick Drake.

Still, ‘Seaside Surprise’ showcases that Simon Connor has a sublime feeling for melodies, subtle guitar playing and, despite or because of the huge Drake influence, arrangements. The album might not be a new contestant for the Classic Albums series but it’s definitely worth a listening session.

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