Paul Armer - Paul Armer 
Release Date: Out Now
Westcountry troubadour Paul Armer is one of the most honest and authentic artists you're ever likely to experience and so this debut album has always promised to be something special but I'm not sure I was quite prepared for the odyssey that this LP is. The first of the ten tracks (perfect album length) is 'Something That Will Never Be Mine' and we get off to a folky, country-tinged start with Armer's chugging acoustic joined by some pedal steel, a brush beat and just enough bass to fill out the bottom end before that distinctive voice sings out across the ages. 'Sweet Dreams and Goodnight' brings a lump to the throat within a few bars and Armer's vocal calls out like a lighthouse in a storm of the mind providing clarity, comfort and safe harbour.
The country side of Armer's music is back on the road-tripping strum of 'Breathe Me In' that weaves a tale in and out of the guitar, drums and well-worn melodies. 'Mermaid Serenade' feels very much steeped in Cornish winds and dramatic clifftop vistas while 'Coffee Cup' introduces a forlorn violin to a melody that feels like huddling down in the back of your van and waiting for the storm to pass. The slowdance sadness of 'Dying Light Of The Sun' feels like two drunks propping each other up as the duet vocals intertwine with an honest beauty that comes when you're too tired to keep up any kind of facade.
The wonderful thing about this album is that it is so honest and soul-baring but also that it is coming out at exactly the right time of year so you can listen to it with a whisky and a roaring fire for company. That said, 'Laura Jane' has the energy of walking in to a roadside bar on Route 66 and stopping the jukebox from playing with your very presence as the desperate vocals and swaggering country guitar vie for your attention as if in a bar brawl. The acoustic guitar and violin double act of 'Chandelier' sits somewhere between Harbottle & Jonas and Bob Dylan before penultimate track, 'Count Yourself Lucky' sings a song of a simple life appreciating the simple things and feeling the simple joy of love. The album closes out on 'Time Keeps Moving You On' and, in a week when I've packed my eldest off to Australia on a one way ticket, I don't mind admitting to shedding a few tears listening to a song that sings of times gone by and memories already starting to fade. This is an album of songs written about a life lived and loves lost rather than imagined scenarios or any kind of pretense - and it is all the more powerful and enjoyable because of it.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/paularmermusic