Review Summary: Paul Dempsey delivers one of the most beautiful albums of the decade in his first ever solo outing.
"But the cat has my tongue and I'm not saying much / 'cause I get shy around bullshit"
Paul Dempsey is the mastermind behind the exquisite band that is Something For Kate, which has had much success in recent years. After 15 years with SFK and many LP's later, Dempsey has decided to give a solo album a go, and aren't we are so glad he did. Hailing from Australia, Dempsey is pretty much an unknown to the rest of the world, which is a shame since his debut album
Everything Is True is full of wonderful song writing and fantastic instrumental work which is surprisingly covered all by Dempsey himself. It could be said that Dempsey has delivered an album that may be one of the best you will hear this decade.
When Dempsey was writing for Something For Kate the tracks came out quite slow and sometimes quite sorrowful, but with
Everything Is True the music is much more upbeat and dare I say it, happy sounding. Though lyrically Dempsey hasn’t really changed a thing, take the first single for example, ‘Out The Airlock’ which begins with quite a simple guitar twiddle and then the quite distinctive vocals that only Paul Dempsey can deliver begin. His voice is quite beautiful even though it has a sad tone to it, but is still quite strikingly emotionally intense, while Dempsey himself said that this was the most stripped down song he had ever written. ‘Out The Airlock’ may feel uplifting, though as you read into the lyrics you get a different view:
"Dangled upside down from a great height
Tied to the rails as the train rounds the bend
Hijacked and hot wired
Snarled by the dogs against the chain link fence"
After the initial tracks, like ‘Take Me To Your Leader’ with its lazy guitar and melodic harmonica opening or 'Ramona Was A Waitress’ with its wistful harmonies and eccentric lyrical theme, things begin to slow down, like the tracks ‘Bird In The Basement’ ‘Theme From Nice Guy’ and ‘Have You Fallen Out Of Love’ which follow the same sort of simple formula and Dempsey uses it to perfection, as it blends well with Dempsey’s lyrical construction. As the album wears on the listener wouldn't be to surprised that some of the best tracks on
Everything Is True are loaded up at the backend. ‘Safety In Numbness’ is a piano based rock piece, which is quite delectable on the ears with quite a heavy guitar driven chorus, suited up with quite deep lyrical motifs, discussing people struggling on anti depressants:
“There's a perfectly good poison
For the perfectly numb
If you want some......
.....We must uphold
To keep out the blackness
And run with the blue.”
The closing number, ‘Man Of The Moment’ is a lovely guitar and voice piece that sends shivers down your back with the amazing delivery of Dempsey’s voice, and matched with quite some poetic lines ending the album is quite a sorrowful, yet eloquent way.
Paul Dempsey may come across as an acquired taste though any fan of folk tinged rock will enjoy this debut record. Be it his beautiful ballads in is solo work or his moving but rockier work circa Something For Kate, there is still definitely something for everyone on this album and Dempsey, having much experience with Something For Kate has been able to deliver one of the greatest albums of this decade with apparent ease. Be that as it’s so, Paul Dempsey belongs with Something For Kate and should only make these solo ventures now and again.
Everything Is True shows that Dempsey is probably one of the best lyricists around and can write a damn catchy melody to.
"We'll all get our piece of the dream / And the have-nots will have to take another hit for the team"
