Philip Kane
Time: Gentlemen
Corrupt Records

Philip Kane's debut Songs For Swinging Lovers was a bold, striking record. Its sequel starts with the impassioned singer working his way through "Paul Bowles last letter to his long dead wife". His voice is still soulful and mature, his vision impressively grand. "California" mentions being lost beneath David Hockney light, a condition I'm sure occurs to many. The songs' as sweet and sour as can be. Some country guitar adds to the picture. "On Being Alive" muses on loving and aging in true bittersweet fashion. The voice is more caress than knife to the throat, which makes it even stronger.

Classic soul meets chamber pop on "If This Is True". The yearning lover locked out of her heart, night falling on his fevered pleas. "we've got different viewpoints on the same sky" he sings. Elsewhere he pens the ballad of the single father and reaches to the sky to claw at those bastard stars.

Kane is a dreamer, maybe he's in the gutter but clearly looking at the stars.

Copyright © 2005 Anna Maria Stjärnell