Head Of Light Entertainment are honest enough to admit that their debut album didn't exactly find an appreciative audience. That was essentially a solo record, but follow up 'The English Don't Care' was recorded as a trio ("two middle aged men with a girl half their age") and is unlikely to do anything to change the situation. There are some intriguing and delightful songs here but they seem intent on ruining things by punctuating them with ill-advised forays in to the world of music hall.
The excellent and mysterious 'Edwardian Fog' and the wondrous chorus of 'The English Don't Care' follow in the grand tradition of madcap, idiosyncratic British pop, yet the knowingly zany 'The Airing Cupboard Fairies' and 'Nip In In The Bud' overrule them by sticking in both the head and the throat. They might be aiming for the oddpop of Sparks but sadly their efforts lack, well, spark. "Surely this is theatre? Maybe bathroom Theatre Royal?" is more fitting a line than it was likely intended.
Experimentation is something that should undoubtedly be encouraged and Head Of Light Entertainment seem more than willing, yet eccentricity only works if it's natural rather than forced. The likeable 'The Last Case On The Carousel' is followed by the hideous 'Vindictive Van Dyke' and it's these moments that spoil it. There's half a decent album here and you can't help but feel that if they ditched the try-hard quirkiness they'd stand a much greater chance of finding that appreciative audience after all.
Head Of Light Entertainment's website
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