Colin MacIntyre
The Water
Future Gods Recordings

After three albums as Mull Historical Society, Colin MacIntyre now has decided to 'go solo', meaning using his real name instead of the Mull moniker. His music is as good as ever. Or even better?

MacIntyre creates BIG music. Pop music of the cunningly arranged, neatly orchestrated and extremely catchy kind. I described the three Mull albums as being a brilliant hat-trick. I was excited to hear what direction MacIntyre took with this new album, and what strikes me is that he's now chosen (?) a path nearer the broader, 'commercial' highway. And he's getting away with! The Water sounds alternative and 'mainstream' at the same time. Everything by MacIntyre's premises.

Multi-instrumentalist MacIntyre (vocals, guitars, pianos, keyboards, synths, bass, zither, harmonium, omnichord, mellotron, tubular bell, toy instruments, various things ...and a set of mechanical table tennis players!) is a gifted musician and songwriter, with a creative mind flowing over with songs. The Water is a 12-song-50-minutes flow, with 'the pop fluid' streaming, running, circling, bending, curving - the current changing from slow to fast, and back again. There are even some rapids, and some tricky undercurrent.

The key track is the closing "Pay Attention To The Human" (guided/exited by a poem by Tony Benn). Colin MacIntyre is a concerned artist, and this track is sort of a situation report for mankind anno 2007/2008. Is there future, is there hope in the digital age? Time to worry - again? Check it out.

The Water should make sure for Colin MacIntyre to become a huge pop star. In a fair world. If he wants to become bigger. Some of his songs circles the theme fame and stardom ("You're a Star" and "Famous For Being Famous"), and they're sort of a humorous look on the "glittery" side of life. The bouncy "Stalker" is a pushy song, following you, breathing up your neck from a distance, partly visible - just like what a stalker does. "I Don't Have You To Ask" is maybe the most beautiful song on the album, being the quiet, ambience & cello spiced ballad.

The Water is another triumph from the hands, heart and mind of Colin MacIntyre. It's somehow/somewhat, as mentioned, a bit different than the previous albums, but nevertheless an album as magic and majestic as Colin MacIntyre can do.

Copyright © 2008 Håvard Oppøyen