As everyone knows being a music critic is an easy job; much easier than, say, making music which might please those music critics. Pete Astor and David Sheppard have done time on both sides of the fence and Ellis Island Sound is the latest fruit of their labours. Astor himself most recently created 'The Wisdom Of Harry' an experimental body of work which he even lent his world weary tones to. The eponymous debut album of this new project is wholly instrumental and is arguably less experimental. It is, however, a more tuneful, heartwarming proposition. 'Olympic 2020' sounds like a genuinely hopeful look to the future. Breakbeat and spanish guitar make peculiar but effective bedfellows on 'Vig Charm' and the dark, cinematic drama hinted at by 'Half Nelson' is another highlight. It's a strange album where the best tracks - though never really approaching cutting edge - display a compulsive hold that is hard to resist.
As everyone knows being a music critic is an easy job; much easier than, say, making music which might please those music critics. Pete Astor and David Sheppard have done time on both sides of the fence and Ellis Island Sound is the latest fruit of their labours. Astor himself most recently created 'The Wisdom Of Harry' an experimental body of work which he even lent his world weary tones to. The eponymous debut album of this new project is wholly instrumental and is arguably less experimental. It is, however, a more tuneful, heartwarming proposition. 'Olympic 2020' sounds like a genuinely hopeful look to the future. Breakbeat and spanish guitar make peculiar but effective bedfellows on 'Vig Charm' and the dark, cinematic drama hinted at by 'Half Nelson' is another highlight. It's a strange album where the best tracks - though never really approaching cutting edge - display a compulsive hold that is hard to resist.
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