Britain's Loosehoundrifters are an almost all-acoustic quintet, except for the presence of an electric bass and an occasional electric rhythm guitar. They are trying to be members of the British folk-rock movement by incorporating mandolins and tin whistles with their guitars, saxes and drums, but because everything they sing and play sounds so very stiff, Hard to be Human, their debut CD, is very appropriately titled.

"Keep On Falling," the opening track, starts things off pleasantly enough with spoken-word lyrics over an instrumental background. It is the only different-sounding piece on the CD, and it is the best. After that things quickly become monotonous. Almost every track is played at relatively the same mid-tempo pace. Occasionally an interesting sax solo brightens the sound, but not enough to keep things interesting.

The weakest element of the music is the lyrics. The obligatory folky environmental song, "Rain Machine," has some of the worst lyrics I have heard in a song's chorus in a long time: "But the rain machines are not working today and the air we breathe has been taken away" and "When the last tree has gone and the rivers run dry there'll be plenty of money to still get you high." UGH!

On "We Can Work It Out" (How is that for an original song title?) they sing, "This feeling's stronger than the both of us now." That line is just as unoriginal as the title. On "Fly" we are subjected to more seemingly esoteric poetry: "We'll shoot to the moon and trip to the stars and then you'll want to fly to Mars." You don't want to hear more.

Loosehoundrifters need to vary their arrangements, pick up the pace on occasion and, most importantly, find a lyricist. Only then will I want to listen again.

- Rambles
written by Charlie Ricci
published 7 February 2004