Talent — Material Whirl — NICOLA GREENBROOK

It's always so inspiring to be contacted by unsigned artists, especially talented ones on the brink of releasing their debut album. What a thrill that must be, channelling all your hard graft and skill into your artistry and for an album release date to finally be on the horizon.

It’s now time for Albert Man to enjoy the spotlight.

A half-German Mancunian singer-songwriter based in London, Albert has been recording and playing gigs since 2014 and is a welcome regular on the London gig circuit, having played at venues including The Old Truman Brewery, World’s End and The Bedford earlier this year. In 2015 he released his debut EP Slam the Brakes On which amassed considerable interest and captivated Liverpool-based blog GETINTOTHIS, who described it as "A bit special, to say the least".

He releases his 11-track, self-produced album Cheap Suit on 23 May 2016. It was recorded by Wes Maebe at the renowned RAK Studios, the recording space founded by the legendary producer Mickie Most, and where artists including Miles Kane, Mary J Blige and Frank Ocean have recorded live sessions.

2016 has been quite a year so far for this progressive musician. His accomplishments include (so far) reaching the finals of the esteemed Coffee Music Project - a high profile competition in London and NYC that showcases emerging musicians while engaging a deep spirit of community among those who share a passion for great music and coffee culture. All the proceeds from the live rounds go directly to support the charity Project Waterfall, and Albert stood out amongst the other 36 contestants which also saw Harry Pane crowned as runner-up. He played The O2 Priority Lounge before Grammy-Award winning hard-hitters Muse, and was a part of an emerging artist night at The Piano Works and Hotel Café Royal. In addition, notable live appearances have included Balcony TV where he gave a heartfelt performance of Do You Think About Me and London Live where he performed two tracks from the new album, Skimming Stones and The Dream Team. Not a bad start, right?

Now for the music itself. It’s tricky to define Albert’s style as it’s quite multifaceted but "piano-led, melodic pop" is a great place to start. He has been described as the UK’s answer to Ben Folds, a modern day Elvis Costello with a bit of Jarvis Cocker and Neil Hannon thrown into the mix. He's also a bit of a disciple of 1950's rock'n'roll and 1980's Bowie and murmurs of this undoubtedly are reflected in his music. Lyrics are a key feature of his work; Albert recently said that, for him, the words and concept comes first and each of his tracks offer quirky lines inspired by the quotidian; like relationships ("we'd talk for hours until it got late, making the perfect mix-tapes"), getting inebriated with your mates and nostalgia. He has the finesse to convert the commonplace, the ordinary into something memorable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb3O3uYUgy4

I've had the advantage of listening to the full unreleased album, and standout tracks include the punchy Don't Be That Guy (dishing out invaluable advice like "Don't be that guy with the hideous tie, and the hair dye and the Hollywood smile who's stuck in 1989") and Not Yet Just One More with a strong piano lead and a luring chorus, that tells the tale of going on a bit of a bender even though we are getting older now (hugely relatable) and "when the spinning stops, you reconnect the dots, it's nothing new".

Albert's work is visually enticing too. The album cover for Cheap Suit was created by Polish illustrator and graphic designer Patryk Hardziej and the video for Cheap Suit, about a man whose life takes a turn for the worst after a relationship breakup which results in him becoming homeless, has striking accompanying imagery. You can see some of this work on Albert's Instagram page.

Cheap Suit is highly recommended and I wish Albert all the best with this album and his upward trajectory.

The suit may be cheap, but this is priceless.

You can catch Albert at the following, upcoming gigs across the UK.

18 May 2016 at Karamel Club, London with Success Express Music

26 May 2016 at Paper Dress, London

07 June 2016 at Upstairs at Ronnie Scott’s, London

10 June 2016 at The Amersham, London

12 June 2016 at Jimmy’s Farm, Ipswich

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Ridiculously talented artists who live in your hometown and, on first actual meeting rather than virtual tweeting, are genuine and affable don’t come along that often.

I first discovered Harry Pane when he opened Grillstock Festival back in the summer. It was a heady, boozy outing for the carnivores but as the token vegetarian I was mainly there for the music. Harry was the Lazy Jacks Cider competition winner and opened the Main Stage with a bluesy, raw and powerful voice and cheerful self-deprecation. 'Hello Wembley!' he said to the scattering of journalists/fellow bloggers/photographers and super-keen Grillstockers who, like me, were sipping cider at 11am and feeling a little bit smug about catching this brilliant artist while everything was still comprehensible.

I gabbed on about his cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Big Love for weeks after, playing it on repeat to my better half, my mates and basically anyone sitting still ('YOU HAVE TO HEAR THIS GUY’S VOICE’) and risked appearing a bit of a stalker on social media. Unfortunately I was away for The Stow Festival back in September where Harry appeared twice on the bill so when the gig at Bird of Smithfield came along, it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Bird of Smithfield is a plush little venue near the iconic Smithfield Market; in an area I consider to be 'proper Laandan’. It is modern and smart and the street level bar is cosy, offering a more intimate setting to its formal dining areas on the upper level. The staff are friendly and with cocktails, flickering candles and obligatory WiFi it was all very civilised. Don't get me wrong, I love a rambunctious London boozer but at the end of a busy week, it's quite nice to have a seat with your beer.

So, back to Harry. He’s a folk/blues singer-songwriter residing in East London, hailing originally from Brackley, Northamptonshire. Described as owning a ‘soulful and emotive voice’, he adds guitar riffs, plenty of slide-guitar action and a stomp board to the mix with brilliant results. He writes and performs his own songs and cites John Martyn, Damien Rice, Bob Dylan and Xavier Rudd as his influences. His first EP, Real Souls was championed by BBC Introducing London and Amazing Radio and swiftly gained approval online.

On the night, Harry kicked off his set with a bang and his expressive voice really is effortless; when you hear it live it sounds prerecorded. Thumping his foot, he created a hypnotic beat which, even if you're not the kind of person who's partial to head-nod in public places, made it impossible not to. I glanced around the bar; yep, there were definitely people who did NOT look like your usual head-nodders, doing it without abandon.

With Nina Simone's Feeling Good given a lovely rawness and depth it was soon evident he gives great cover - taking a track and effectively turning it completely on its head. In my humble opinion, Harry creates a more impactful version of the originals. (Case in point: Firestone by Kygo, performed by Harry as part of Reload Sessions).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY7Qgth1ieE

Gnarls Barkley's Crazy followed which received the Harry treatment. 'There are absolutely no dud notes, everything is in tune!' said my hubby as I head nodded along in agreement. Not seeming the kind of bloke to let that undeniable talent go to his head, Harry exclaimed 'I'm lucky enough to be playing the O2 on Sunday before Van Morrison!' with a genuine glint in his eyes - in reference to Morrison's gig with Tom Jones at The Prudential Blues Fest - before playing Moondance in celebration. It was sublime, instantly reminding me of seeing Morrison at Love Supreme Festival earlier this year. Pane also played the O2 Priority Lounge ahead of Fleetwood Mac at the O2, so it was fitting he covered Go Your Own Way.

I'm a sucker for 90's R'n'b; an intro to a Destiny’s Child tune can fell me in one nostalgic swoop, so I appreciated Harry's cover of Backstreet’s No Diggity with an extra helping of funk. Throughout the evening, diners came down from the restaurant upstairs, passing Harry as they exited. Most would stop, listen and mouth 'He's really good!’ to their companion before hanging about the door for a bit not really wanting to leave.

Some more top class covers followed; a stomping version of The Lumineers. Hey Ho, Ed Sheeran’s Bloodstream, James Bay’s Hold Back the River, I’m Yours by Jason Mraz (‘it’s a bit cheesy but I’m going to play it anyway’ he quipped, effectively stripping away all the cheese and dishing out a corker) and James Brown’s It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World - all delivered with great intensity. He’s an engaging performer and hugely down to earth, with impressive staying power - forty-five minutes into the gig and there were and no signs of his voice, or him, faltering.

Clearly Harry does great covers, but his own material should also get the exposure it deserves. His own tracks had the most impact on me, especially the newly penned Cold Light of Day, influenced by artists like Jamie N Commons, The Bones of JR Jones, Seasick Steve and Rocco DeLuca and he used a slide to create a bluesy, glissando effect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP19ETeYNjk

Right that’s enough from me. I'm going to let you discover Harry for yourself. Check out his website for upcoming gigs, including the new event at Brooklyn Bowl 'New Blood Live' at The O2, London on 26 November and his gig in the 02 Priority Lounge ahead of Mumford & Sons on 10 December.

Before do I close though, a final plea. Harry is crowdfunding his second EP and asking for help via the Pledge Music platform. At the time of writing, with 18 days to go he has reached 53% of his target. Good, but I'm sure you'll agree after checking out his stuff he deserves much, much better.

So, my advice is to get clicking, pledging and giving using the links below as soon as you can - it’s your chance, like me, to be part of the journey of this super talented artist.

PLEDGE MUSIC - SUPPORT HARRY'S NEW EP

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