Enfang/private
Kitchen Cynics : Dust (UK,2006)****'
In the harvest of things, a relationship, like leaves, fall from the sky, unrestrainable dust leaves itself everywhere. The actions of men leave dirt and mess, which need cleaning up from time to time, and when it can’t be done all the time, things of real essence, unspoken remarks in untamed confrontations, are left in the corners, just like dust. This release is about that dust sticking around that while wiping it up with a brush that paints songs they finally have time to become its worthy conversation partner. With whispery voice and vocal harmonies, slightly echoing flutes, fuzz and guitars, and a few other things, Alan Davidson brings everything to a diary, with wisdom and beauty or something like that, here almost like a real, recognisable story, with a parallel metaphysical level. Like the leaves or dust, memories of people come and go and can also leave their traces. “Richard in Bedlam” is about Victorian Richard Madd. One song is co-written by Michel Mass (who adds some cello). That song explains “You left the heat, left the lust, I breath in dust.” And “I saw you go, so you go to the ground” while Alan had been in the stormy passion of a relationship he now looks with his calm wise voice, at the remains. “Words for the Cranner”* show that new view on the hill, and muse on the clearance and clairvoyance of such a view. He also used an original song by Honeybus, about the “can’t stand the breaking up scene”, sung with an cynical calmness. Time to clean up the mess. While some people left traces, other things come to mind like foggy mists (“Ebbed Away”) or like dreams, and remembering the mystic mist of a girl’s behaviour (also described on “Withershins”). Very nicely interpreted is a Kevin Ayers song called “O!What a dream” with some funny voice-over echo effects, rhythms and so on. “Till we are dusts” concludes the story, saying how he had thought everything would last forever until we are "dusts", now looking at the left-over traces are becoming like dust. Last track is a beautiful instrumental ending with funny remarks in the background about why some sax solos that should be there aren’t.
* This song was written by Mike Davidson (no relation) of the band Crake. Alan has been helping them record recently, and they might do a few live gigs together soon too.
