Positive review of Mark Seymour’s album Mayday.

Author:  Tom Cardy, stuff.com.au.

Date: 24 July 2015.

Original URL: http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/70416037/former-hunters–collectors-frontman-mark-seymour-now-a-seasoned-songwriter

Article Text

Rock

Mark Seymour & The Undertow – Mayday (Liberation)
3 1/2 Stars

As someone who was bewitched by Hunters & Collectors’ 1982 debut with its dark, post-punk and experimental turns, it can be hard to reconcile the Mark Seymour who fronted the band then, and the man in 2015. This is Seymour’s ninth solo album and these days he sounds and performs very much like many other rock singer-songwriters. What I liked about early Hunters & Collectors is that they didn’t sound like anyone else. But with that off my chest, there’s still a lot to like with today’s Seymour. He hasn’t lost his knack of a good hook (Kosciusko) and as a songwriter, has progressed in terms of story telling and observation, especially on Football Train and Courtroom 32. Like fellow countryman Paul Kelly, some of the Aussie references don’t resonate with Kiwis – in much the same way they’d feel about Don McGlashan or Dave Dobbyn. Mayday is also an album that does need a few plays to penetrate and appreciate. But it’s hard not to want to sing along, just like Throw Your Arms Around Me years ago, when Seymour belts out Lucky Land.

Comments

N/A.