[Album Review] Alex Day - Parrot Stories, 2009

I've been watching Alex Day on YouTube for near enough as long as he's been active on the site. I've seen his songwriting style develop and his singing abilities get much more solid. I've been eagerly anticipating his first (proper) album, entitled "Parrot Stories". I've been listening to Alex's free album, “Nerimania!” for too long now and it feels like ages since we first heard Parrot Stories. However now, it's out, and I've listened to it over and over again. I purchased it three minutes after midnight on the day of release off the UK iTunes Music Store. I ended up staying up far too late listening to it, soaking it up.

So the album starts off very strongly with "A Thousand Hours". The very start of the song seems a bit obscure, but when the music kicks in, you instantly realise that this album is going to live up to the buildup there has been. The punchy guitar reels you in and when Alex starts singing, it's clear how far he has come in getting his vocal style down.

The next song is "Hearts", featuring Tyrannosauruslexxx. This was the first song that most people heard off the album (in it's final version) as it could be heard on http://dftba.com/ a few weeks prior to the album release. It's another strong song, and it has Alex Day's typical songwriting style. There is a real nice contrast between Alex and Lex's voices.

. There's someone out there in the world like you,
. Perfect glossy hair and skinny jeans from Camden.

“No More” is the third song, and is a song that Alex posted on the fiveawesomeguys channel on YouTube. That was well over a year ago, and now the song has finally got the production value it so deserves. There is a little glockenspiel interlude that does seem to stand out a bit. If you ask me, this is a song that could have been a lot more than it became. I'm not saying it's bad, it really isn't. However at this stage, I'd still rather listen to the video-rip from Nerimania!. This is a song that should be stripped down and acoustic if you ask me, and I think it's a bit over-produced on Parrot Stories. It's good, but not as good as the original, which I must admit, is quite fantastic.

. And when I've rid these voices in my head,
. I'll hear what you've been saying and we'll sleep under the stars.

If you ask me, "Holding On" is Alex Day's Magnum Opus at this stage. I liked the original acoustic version, however the Parrot Stories version is near-perfection. There is a wonderful balance between Alex's voice and Tom Milsom's harmonies. The glockenspiel is a more than welcome addition in this song, it just adds to the charm it already has in spades. This song lifts this album to a new level and makes it exceed all expectations. Personally, I have listened to it nearly 50 times since I bought it, and it never gets old. I am not one for putting my iTunes on 'Repeat One', but for "Holding On", I had to.

. So I'll play until the strings on my guitar give out,
. And I'll be aching from the pain of trying to pretend.

After the peak of Holding On, there is the little ukulele ditty called "Candy Floss". If I remember correctly, this was one of Alex's first songs on a ukulele that he'd been given. I remember watching the video and listening to the mp3 rip over and over again. This is another song that really deserved proper production quality, however unlike No More, I think it really works with this. It's a cute little song, and the transition to CD quality has only done it good.

. And we spun on the teacups,
. Round and round and round until we felt dizzy.
. You asked me to win you a bear,
. And said it was fine when I failed.

The next song is another that was on Nerimania!. "What You Do" is a song that really needed the upgrade in production quality, and I'm happy to report that it's another success in transition. It's not the best song on the album, but it is certainly not the worst. There isn't really a whole lot else to say.

“No Sacrifice” is another new song and it's a bit funny. I don't really know what to think of it. It seems very over-produced in places (like towards the start - the guitar has a way of blurring all the other sounds). However the chorus sounds nice and stripped down. It is one of the weaker songs on the album though.

The next song, "Impossible Dreams" would be my favourite song if it weren't for the excellence of Holding On. This song is simply, beautiful. I wish it weren't so short, because I could listen to it over and over again. I think it's probably the second best written song on the album. The lyrics fit like a glove. It sounds like some sort of slow acoustic Flogging Molly song. I really love it. A lot.

. The sky's getting darker, the air's getting cooler
. And I just can't win anymore
. So forgive me, my darling
. We all have impossible dreams

If Impossible Dreams is the second best written song on Parrot Stories, then "Sicily" is by far the best written song. Like Holding On, the composition of this song is simply wonderful. The subtle screeching guitars in the background really add atmosphere to the song. The acoustic guitar is reminiscent of “Shangri-La” by The Kinks. The atmosphere reminds me of “Spanish Train” by Chris de Burgh. I doubt Alex Day would like that comparison. Regardless, this is by far, one of the strongest songs on the album.

. Sat in peaceful scenery
. The city lights shine bright around me
. Smell of last night's dinner is still breezing through the air
. Dozing in tranquility
. The morning sun hangs high above me
. Flicking camera shutters catch bewildered form in stares

The penultimate song is the last new one, entitled "How We Were". This is another I'm really quite unsure of. The lyrics are strong, very strong, however there is a strange mix of a kind of techno bassline, mixed with light guitars. I think I want to like it, but the odd mix just puts me off too much. It's stronger on paper than it is in the flesh. The lyrics are very good though.

. Things I like to think about involving me and you
. Include a wait for a proposal underneath a London cloud.
. We make choices and they take us closer to our future,
. And the day I wake up next to you completely safe and sound.

The last song, "Don't Look Back" was my favourite song by Alex Day prior to the release of Parrot Stories. The demo on the DFTBA Compilation is one of my most listened to songs. I absolutely love it. The song is quite exquisite in that form. It's charm is in it's simplicity. Although the version on Parrot Stories is simple, compared to some of the other songs, it still suffers from over-production. All this song needs is Alex and a ukulele. Extra bits in the background just make it muddier than it needs to be. Sadly, I was let down a bit by the album version. I'll still be listening to the demo though, as the song is still beautiful.

. It's late and your nose is turning red from the cold
. Our feet are walking rhythmically, and crumpling the snow
. And I have got myself a question, that I would like to ask
. When it gets to midnight, will you take my freezing hands and dance?

Well that's my track-by-track review of Alex Day's "Parrot Stories". Although, for me, the album ends on a bit of a low note, I am really pleased with how it turned out. I really appreciate what DFTBA Records are doing and I hope that Alex has a bright future ahead, because from what I hear on this album, his bills are definitely paid with said skills.

I also want to point out how excellent a job Tom Milsom did in producing this album. The quality sounds excellent and I'm really very impressed with the composition of most of the songs. He's going from strength to strength and I'm interested to see what's next for him.

If you ask me, Chameleon Circuit's album was a good start for Alex Day. However "Parrot Stories" really shows off his skills as a songwriter, singer and performer.

Rating:
9/10

You can buy Parrot Stories at iTunes, AmazonMP3, or DFTBA.com

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