Advance Base

One-man-band Owen Ashworth performs under this new moniker after hanging up his ‘Casiotone for the Painfully Alone’ outfit, but still uses a similar keyboard setup. Sadly, the new songs are a bit samey, and the simpler live setup lacked the punch and energy of his earlier work. He’s still a strong songwriter though, and his vocals were high enough in the mix to enjoy the simple poetic melancholy of songs like ‘My Sister’s Birthday’ where there were: “36 candles, for someone to light, but I didn’t call her, and I didn’t write.” A nice, intimate, evening but nothing too memorable.

The Hope, 8 July 2013

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