Nobody Loves an Albatross

CD Cover The Simples
Independent

Review by Pieter Hofman


If catchy pop-rock with depth is to your liking, the Simples' debut recording should fit the bill. In essence, the Simples are Vancouver singer/songwriter Sean McLaughlin, who plays all guitars, keyboards and bass, with support provided by drummer Hamish Thompson and cellist Melanie Sereda.

Nobody Loves an Albatross harkens back to the better bits of '60s & '70s rock, while still sounding thoroughly modern and original. McLaughlin has a warm, understated voice not far removed from Steve Kilbey. With a nod to the Beatles, R.E.M. and the Church, the trio is equally adept constructing jangly pop songs ("It Pisses Me Off") and ballads that spiral towards a darker side of the rainbow. The somber "Broken Shell" showcases Sereda's gorgeously haunting cello over McLaughlin's bleak picture of alienation.

The Simples may be wrong that nobody loves an albatross; this is one bird people may grow to love.


Artist Contact Info: 6-160 E. 10th St., North Vancouver, B.C., V7L 2C8, Canada



First published in Drop-D Magazine on December 15, 1997

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