I'm usually a little leery of press releases and their claims. But when the PR for Andy Yorke's Simple states, "In spite of this promise [to never pick up a guitar again] Andy found… personal demons driving him to write," I believe it. These songs definitely feel necessary—you can tell Yorke was working through deep emotions when he wrote these songs. But, while they are unquestionably cathartic, Yorke has crafted art out of his torment. This isn't just bare pain exposed, but pain transformed into beautiful songs.
Lyrics like: "I don't want the world to change/ It has to always be this way/ I don't know where love has gone/ I must have always been alone" ("Twist of the Knife") and "This is all you've got/ This is all you took/ From all the years that you put in/ Doesn't amount to much/ But some things you can't throw aside" indicate songs born our personal torment, not some idle desire to write pop music. They are honest and heartfelt lyrics.
The other thing you might notice about those lyrics is how, yes, simple they are. On one level, Simple quite lives up to its name. The lyrics are basic and straightforward. They say what they mean without too much poetic embellishments. Nor do they run on; some of the songs contain barely a handful of lines.
The music is likewise unadorned. Most of the songs are built around a basic acoustic guitar; some are fleshed out with subtle string arrangements. The result is at once simple and lush. Even on those songs which do utilize a full band, the instrumentation is never intrusive. The emphasis is always on Yorke's voice and lyrics—his voice is straightforward and sincere, the intent not to impress with vocal gymnastics, but to express the meaning of the songs.
To say the album is both simple and lush is not as much of a contradiction as it may sound. One thing this album demonstrates is the power of simplicity. The basic lyrics lay bare Yorke's emotions, and the spare musical accompaniment emphasizes those feelings. They songs are honest and pained, make their point powerfully without much window dressing.
The songs do sound somewhat like a stripped down version of Yorke's previous band, Unbelievable Truth, but the emotions cut much deeper here. As for similarities to his brother Thom (yes, that Thom Yorke), the main one is the degree of talent on display here. Otherwise, Andy has chosen a much different musical path than his famous sibling. A path which comes to powerful fruition on the album.
Artist:
www.andyyorke.com
myspace.com/andyyorke
Download:
Andy Yorke – “Rise and Fall” – [mp3]
Album:
Simple is out now. Buy it on Amazon.
