Dave Ramont can write some very good lyrics. He is perceptive and has good stories to tell.

Unfortunately for Scrawny, this particular CD failed to ignite with me. The renditions were competent but did not hook my attention. The music is very monotonous and the lyrics are often lost by too ordinary arrangements.

"Shoestring," for instance, is like a piece of a James Joyce stream-of-conciousness story, with lyrics like "the rocka and the lemons and the face that you wear" and "I'll tie up the fence with a shoestring."

On the plus side, it is an album that may well provide a springboard for his writing talent in that it makes his work known to other singers. They may pick up on some of the good material here, re-arrange it and make him rich with the royalties. Sadly, however, I did not enjoy this CD.

[ by Nicky Rossiter ]
Rambles: 2 February 2002