John Zealey - Homing Device

Reviewed by Rhys Laverty

Occasionally you discover an album which you can't totally suss out. Aylesbury-based songsmith Zealey, who self-produced this album as part of an outreach called Freedom Folklore, has created a recording which is genuinely perplexing. There are some amazing streaks of folk brilliance, addictively pure folkish melodies and wonderfully witty lyrics. Prime examples would be the verses of opener "How Am I Supposed To Tell Them?" and "And In This Corner", which contains one of my favourite lyrics on the album, referencing Richard Dawkins. Contemporary, eh? The lyrical highlight, however, is undoubtedly "Bible Bender". This is the first song I've heard about people's attitudes specifically to the Bible. Unfortunately, elsewhere the album sadly falls into the realms of generic singer/songwriter. The middle of the album plods along at a grating middle-pace and you may find yourself listening desperately for the strokes of wonder that you'd heard earlier. Avoid "The Place" and "Failure As A Lifestyle". The album dreams itself out on its closing title track, which resembles music you would hear on a surreal theme park ride, like The Bubble Works or It's A Small World. All in all, the album flits from brilliantly original to drearily dull. But its high spots make it worth investigating.