Wise In Time
Wise In Time
The Ballad Of The Den Men
(Crammed/Ryko)
Former Juryman Ian Simmonds takes the dark roads through Bristol.
The Ballad Of The Den Men begins as yet another Beta Band clone, but underneath his multi-tracked hum of a voice, Simmonds reveals a steadier jazz hand than the surface indicates. “Letters To The President” freaks out above a listless swing, and on “Lord” Simmonds’ vocal interpretation — normally like Tindersticks’ Stuart Staples — takes on the nuance of a French diva, the accents just off the meter and lazily ad libbing. As it spins, Ballad can seem steadfastly anticlimactic, choosing to drip into the sewer rather than whitewash stone pathways. The Morphine-imbued title track notwithstanding, this den is not for lions.
— Steve Forstneger
Click here to download “Nine.”
