ALBUM REVIEW: LONELY TOURIST – I Live Where You Are BBBBB

The IndieBendent favourite Lonely Tourist returns with a much anticipated second album after receiving the title of The IndieBendent No.1 album of 2011 and as expected fails to disappoint. The album arrived through my letter a few weeks ago and I knew I’d be in for a treat.

An album with an interesting raw edge, which allows Paul’s heavily accented vocal to shine.  The opening track is the title track and latest free single download recently released ‘I Live Where You Are’ opens in an enjoyable up tempo number and following in fine style just like his debut album Sir I’m A Good Man.  The track that follows ‘A Lonely Tourist’ continues in the more upbeat theme from the previous track. With the artists name checked in the song title, I expected this one to be about the fact has ventured south and is out of place and doesn’t quite fit in away from his Scottish routes. Instead it seems a tale is told of the woes of growing up how the chances and opportunities the youth of today are given.  The stand out track of the album for me is ‘Jesus, The Don and The Dee’ the vocal effects on this track showing off Paul’s dulcet tones.  Another of the tracks off a very strong second album is ‘Rattling Around’ another of Lonely Tourist’s up tempos tracks. This song’s lyrics and melody are right up there with the Scott Hutchison’s and Louis Abbott’s of the world. The bouncy chord pattern coupled with the Glaswegians lyrics would make for a great soundtrack to accompany a bouncing Glasgow crowd in the city’s famous Barrowlands.

The album closes with a slower stripped back number in ‘Found Out’ which calms things everything down and allows Paul’s vocal to shine through for the final time before instrumental track ‘Viking Jazz’ finishes off another impressive album from the one time Odeon Beatclub front man.

It’s no big secret that I’m a massive fan of Lonely Tourist and I’m still reeling from the fact I never made a bigger effort to catch him at Rockness.  With Paul based down in Bristol, Glasgow Appearances are few and far between hopefully he’ll be back up the road soon and I’ll finally see the man in action