Pidgeman - Sympathy

Hear The Track Here

Out of the seven or eight reviews I have done of Craig Matthews (aka Pidgeman) one thing becomes instantly clear, I like this musicians style even if I haven't found a track to rave about yet. That is obviously just a question of time of course, and the right combination of circumstances, but I feel fairly confident at this stage that this is an artist who definitely has a Must Have track lurking around somewhere. After all, he has a string of highly recommended's even though - it has to be said - his voice isn't as strong as it could be. Mind you, I wouldn't say that Bob Dylan (for example) is a great singer and as with all music - it depends on the vocalist being able to put the point across more than anything else.

I mention this because I have been a bit down on Craig about it and that's probably not fair. You have to work with what you have got, right? One of the most positive things about Pidgeman (who is as aware of his vocal limitations as anyone) is that he does tailor his tracks extremely well to be able to get the point across so that ordinary mortals just wouldn't hear anything wrong. On that score I have to say that Sympathy is one of this artists strongest tracks - a pop song truly worthy of the title.

Someone made a comment that its sounds like something Hansen would have done and I have to say - with some surprise - that I actually agree with that. The chorus (instantly catchy as all get out) especially so, which is quite surprising considering that AFAIK Craig is a fellow Brit; although you'd be hard pressed to tell by this track. Where the track falls down is in the thinness of that exact same chorus in terms of vocal punch and I have to say that it isn't helped by the delay applied to the vocal. The major problem is that the delay is out of time with the track which tends to make the chorus sound sloppier than it actually is. Still, this is exceedingly small change when contrasted with such an energetic, classically pop performance. As I said, despite my whinges, one of this musicians strongest tracks yet.

Class US-centric pop. Highly Recommended.