Josh Pyke
Memories & Dust
Mushroom



Singer-songwriters are a dime a dozen. That's a nickel each. Mind you, given the size of the industry, it's so hard to stand out in almost any area of music - and the musicians who do set themselves apart now often do so in very subtle ways. Josh Pyke's first full-length album, 'Memories & Dust,' occupies this exact territory. His songs don't immediately stand out as drastically different in their sound, even if the warm, radio-friendly blend of indie rock and folk if likeable. It's only upon a closer look that the details become clearer - and it's in these small details that Pyke reveals himself to be a surprisingly deft songwriter.

The first track, Lines On Palms, is a fine example of Pyke's skilful way with lyrics. He finds descriptive, vivid ways of parlaying familiar experiences and emotions into song, describing a woman as "a warm breath on the back of your neck and a warm belly pressed against yours." These are not unusual themes: Pyke approaches universal experiences such as growth, change and relationships, but the scenes he describe help tide him over, most of all on the sweet Sew My Name, where Pyke assumes a piece of clothing that fits his lover perfectly, reminding her that "you can't outgrow something sewn under your skin."

The choice of imagery is consistent throughout the album, drawing on the ocean, birds and the idea of stitching several times, and managing to feel fresh with each use.

In fact, the most jarring things about the album end up being the moments when Pyke breaks the welcoming, understated warmth of most of the songs. On the title track (also the album's first single), Pyke begins to verge on speaking instead of singing, ruining his likeable singing voice. Occasional missteps in the lyrics, such as the clumsy "there's not time to f**k around for too long" from Someone Else's Town, are equally distracting. Fortunately, they're not distracting enough to deter listening to the rest of what is otherwise a literate, highly agreeable collection of songs.

Brian O'Neill