Rude Corps - See It For Myself

Hear The Track Here

Looking back on the first time I reviewed Neil O'Brien (aka Rude Corps) - t'was with Tonight's Alright (September 2005) - is a bit of an eye opener. Who would have thought that this musician would turn into IMHO one of the finer exponents of electronica and politicized, topical music around today. Over the years Rude Corps have delivered some big surprises and as a consequence I always look forward to his tracks - and the remixes are pretty awesome too; he's worked with some good people in that time. So, with all that experience under his belt, you'd expect something a bit different, a bit challenging...

A bit lo-fi too, as it happens, but it probably adds to the ethos eh?

No fair Gilmore, I hear you all shout. How come you cut some lo-fi musicians more slack than others? Well, essentially it comes down to one thing and one thing only - ideas. To be honest, I don't really mind what the track sounds like ultimately because I have heard great music in many different guises over the years. What I most care about is impact and the original impetus to actually make the track. Rude Corps, it has to be said, is also a special case because wherever he goes musically, it's usually an entertaining (if not enlightening) experience and See It For Myself has that and an added extra - Neil gets to sing a bit.

The great thing about rock in general is that you don't need a good voice to utilise it's power, it helps obviously as is shown by endless lines of rock gods, but some of the best rockers are not exactly world class singers. Neither is Neil, to be fair, but he does make the most of what he does and with the odd rock/reggae instrumental line-up helps to put across the song. Personally I prefer the fire-breathing, proselytising version of this musician but I can do with his softer side too (Ed: he has a softer side? Ye gods what is the world coming too...)

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