It might seem an odd comment to make but Larkin Poe seem determined to make a career out of delicious predictability. One can’t argue with the delicacy of their playing or those oh so sonorous sibling harmonies but with each passing release they seem determined to pursue the path of least resistance much to the detriment of their artistic development.
With that in mind, a collaboration with Thom Hell is therefore unsurprising. He is hardly a dynamic performer so he would be unlikely to outshine them and, if financial gain were their aim, then his reputation would guarantee a good few sales in the Scandinavian marketplace and a few booking in the festival circuit in that part of the world. Not that making money is a bad thing, of course, but it would have been nice to see dear Larkin Poe try a bit harder at and create something a bit more exciting.
It is that very lack of excitement that pervades the songs on this album. Thom Hell singularly fails to sparkle either on his own compositions or those of our beloved Larkin Poe who, for their part, seem content to be the providers of background music. I’ve heard them sound so much better so it is a true disappointment to announce that not a single one of the songs on this album could be called memorable. Add in a lacklustre production – and particularly dull cover art – and you have the kind of album that will fail to capture your attention let alone your affection.