Mr. Wright - Star Time (1999)

Star Time, Mr. Wright's second full length album was released on Le Grand Magistery in 1999. You’d think with Momus lending a hand on Wright’s sophomore LP, you’d expect a bit of absurdity of some sort amidst the pathos; maybe it’d contain a bit more flashiness, peacocking around with upbeat Momus brand satire, not the lachrymose, disheartening, usual fare that Wright knows and does best. However, despite Momus’ assistance on this record, it’s still undoubtedly a work of Kevin Wright. Outside of a few tracks with faster tempos and brighter, peppier steps where you can see Momus’ influences, such as “You’re a Queen,”(which is Wright's glammiest moment) “Star Time” and penultimate track “Balloon Race” this is unmistakably a Mr. Wright album. And although there’s this minor almost bipolar vacillation (not unusual for the “fancy man”), Wright is poignant as ever.

Much like the rest of his catalog, there is a very concise cinematic feel to Star Time. The majority of the record consists of a carefully laid out and meticulously orchestrated mixture of loungey and baroque style songs with lyrics defining unadulterated insecurities, hopelessness, and loneliness, with a dash of romanticism thrown in here and there all presented with the sincerity of a man who really means it - who really FEELS it. So don’t be mistaken, Star Time is not a cloying affair, but a genuine look deep into the soul of a true artist, and like all true artists, there is suffering here; it’s real and in your face. On “Don’t Walk in the Dark (Oh Baby)” Wright showcases empathy for his audience who feels the same, “…and you feel like you want to die / you know I sympathize with you” “and all those demons inside your mind / and all those people who are so unkind”

Wright can go from making you think he’s seconds away from offing himself in some dismal motel with a rusty razor blade, then with resilience, sounding zealous and spirited, and then immediately becoming introspective and somber again with the subsequent track. It keeps things interesting for sure. If I had to label him something (besides humble, passionate, and genuine), I’d say that Mr. Wright is a remembrancer (one who or that which reminds) and his role as such plays an important part in his music, whether it’s melancholy or soulful is not important. He holds the natural artistic prowess to evoke and it’s what makes his music so special and places him on a pedestal above his peers.

I've said it thrice and I'll say it again, since all of his albums are on iTunes, go buy them if you like what you hear from my posts – he is wholly deserving of it.

Rating: 9/10

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Always - Almost complete discography

The tender and noble Kevin Wright (now formally known as Mr. Wright) put out 2 EPs and two LPs under his alias Always during the late 80's. The EPs and the first LP, Thames Valley Leather Club were released on the legendary El Records and inspired and influenced a myriad of twee/indie pop bands to come. His sentimental British style of wistful romanticism carried on to his work as Mr. Wright. It’s obvious that Wright is a man of immense depth as shown by his songwriting, which at times borders on poetry with musical accompaniment. These early beginnings may be a little rough and amateurish and even thin at times (although in a delicate way) compared to the more fleshed out, orchestrated Mr. Wright albums, but nonetheless affecting and emotive.

The reason I love Wright’s music so much, and perhaps the reason he is so often ignored by the public, is his brutal honesty and his intrinsic introspective display of real and genuine sadness as well as his aching suspiring for something more in life. He can transform the banal into something interesting, and really, really hit you with a maudlin (although not sappy), melancholy song when you’re not expecting it. There's even a strange, almost out of place track on Thames Valley Leather Club and Metroland, "Park Now" which carries a sense of portentous film score anxiety. It's a great, suspenseful track, just a little randomly placed amidst heap of pop music, maybe thrown in to add some diversity to the mix

This collection features two classic albums and one of his EPs (the other of which, Ariel Atlas I couldn’t track down, but I imagine the songs were featured on Thames Valley Leather Club like 3 of the tracks on the Metroland EP). Even if it comes off as little out of key at times or that he isn't the most proficient musician, Always is pop at its most sophisticated and distilled, much like Felt and Momus of the era. These are historically defining must-haves in any collection, even if the world chooses to ignore their general existence, influence, and sheer brilliance of their esoteric brand of pop. He has a myspace here, where you can listen to some of his newer material, and I've posted a few Mr. Wright albums previously here (Hello, is Anyone out There?, 2001) and here (Metropolitan, 2004). BUY THIS MAN'S ALBUMS!

Collection includes:

Metroland EP (1987-8?)
Thames Valley Leather Club LP (1988)
Looking for Mr. Wright LP (1989?)

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Mr. Wright - Metropolitan (2004)

Mr. Wright is a fashionable gentleman, a "Fancy Man" in his own words. That's not to say he's conceited. He's no stranger to loneliness, self-doubt, broken hearts, regrets, rejections, disappointments, and unrequited love stories to name a few. In short, he's a savant of immense depth and he portrays life and love and pain brilliantly and poetically through his songs. Metropolitan is equal parts melancholic and hopeful, his songwriting undulates dramatically from tristful, saturnine umbras to uplifting ballads, soft and poppy. His lyrical skill is remarkable and his words lie at the core of the songs themselves, simple enough, yet written on par with the lyrics of a great poet. "Anna Karina" especially, breaks my heart into a million pieces, every time. This is a truly earnest and endearing album that should be heard by all. Once again, I fully endorse this man and you should support him and buy his stuff on Itunes.

Note: Unfortunately, before I zipped this, I didn't add the track numbers to the song titles so the album is out of order. I can't stress enough how important it is to listen to this as it was originally intended. Here's the correct track listing:

1. North West Six
2. Crossing Shoot Up Hill
3. Cats Eyes
4. Anna Karina
5. Goodbye Baby
6. Hello World
7. Metropolitan
8. Autumn Sun
9. Over Your Rainbow
10. Future Love City
11. Underground

Rating: 9.5/10

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Mr. Wright - Hello Is Anyone out There (2001)

A beautiful morning such as this calls for beautiful music to accompany it. You may not have heard of him, but Kevin Wright, aka Mr. Wright, is the most sophisticated and elegant pop musician alive on the planet. The travesty, however, is that he is completely and totally unrecognized - no one knows this guy even exists. His previous incarnation, Always, whose sound was lovably linear, released 2 comely LPs on El Records, and had a small cult following. However, his work as Mr. Wright has vastly improved craftsmanship, a more cinematic sound, while maintaining the same trademark elegance and emotional range he fashioned as Always.

Hello Is Anyone Out There is a tender, passionate, and radiant album shining with gorgeous, ornamented instrumentation, spectacular lyrics, and most importantly heart and soul. The album opens with arguably its strongest track, the climactic and gripping "Sailor on the Sea," but subsequent tracks are all endearing, many of them deeply melancholic or lovingly heartfelt or a fantastic combination of both. Mr. Wright is one man you don't want to miss.

ps. If you like what you hear, please support this guy and buy the album on Itunes - he deserves it.

Rating: 9.5/10

DOWNLOAD (m4a): http://www.mediafire.com/?yull1v5kc10m4xd