CD: HEY090-2
RELEASED: 2008
LABEL: Heyday

01. No One There
02. More Is Less
03. Lullaby For The Lonely
04. The Sniper
05. Feed Your Mind
06. High Down Below
07. I Must've Fallen
08. The Love You Never Had
09. Song For Victor Jara
10. A Game For Losers

Marty Willson-Piper, lead guitarist of the legendary Aussie band "The Church", whom the New York Times hailed as "The Best Guitar Band in the World", is releasing his new solo album, entitled "Nightjar". Willson-Piper's trademark 12-string Rickenbacker guitar sound has been widely admired and appreciated since the release of The Church's acclaimed albums "Starfish" and "Priest = Aura". "Starfish" contained the popular modern rock anthem "Under The Milky Way" as well as "Reptile", which was recently covered by The Smashing Pumpkins, and "Priest = Aura" included the hit "Ripple". The Church's 2006 release, "Uninvited, Like The Clouds" was acclaimed by critics and fans alike. Willson-Piper's distinctive guitar work has always been at the forefront of The Church sound-a sound from which oceans of guitarists have drawn their influence from. The Church helped pave the way for bands such as Interpol and Radiohead. Throughout The Church's nearly 30-year career, Marty Willson-Piper's integrity and skills have never wavered through the ups and downs of the Rock 'n' Roll world. "Nightjar" was recorded in Penzance, Cornwall by renowned producer/engineer Dare Mason, Marty's partner on his side project "Noctorum", which has released two CDs so far. Much praise must be given for Willson-Piper's vocals; his warm troubadour burr is perfectly suited for the rich canopy of violins, cellos, and woodwinds which frequently surround his engaging meditations and rousing folk-rock. Album opener "No One There" is the sort of slow-unfolding epic so closely identified with The Church, thanks to its rolling tom rhythm and intricate webs of electric guitars. Augmented by the occasional flare-up of horns - or are those synths imitating horns? - the song surges and swells with the same music-as-force-of-nature intensity often offered as opening statements on Church albums. "Feed Your Mind" and "High Down Below" are both strident folk-rock rambles which carefully balance bright-eyed optimism and been-around-the-block realism, and "A Game For Losers" is a flawless late-night drunken cobblestone-stumble set a-swaying by the romantic chug of Parisian-caf? accordion and a lone rooftop-serenading trumpet blowing away in the distance.

Influences / Similar Artists:
The Church, Steve Kilbey, Peter Koppes, Noctorum, Jack Frost