During the 1980s, singer-songwriter Paul Handyside was known for being vocalist and guitarist in “indie darlings” Hurrah! (no? me neither). After collaborating with other artists since then, only now at the tail end of the noughties, has he released his debut solo album, ‘Future’s Dream’.
A largely sombre collection, it announces itself with the drowsy study in melancholy which is ‘Beautiful Thing,’ for my money an inauspicious beginning to what is an impressive album in places, reminiscent perhaps of a more restrained Rufus Wainwright, and Billy Joel in his better days.
Handyside is an accomplished musician, playing pianos, guitars, harmonium and writing all of the twelve tracks. The music itself ranges from folk and country influenced songs such as ‘Let the Lights Go Down’ to the white soul/gospel of ‘River of Song,’ and ’Midwinter Feast with its “hallelujah” refrain.
‘The Slow Road’ features some delicately finger-picked guitar and an appealingly bright vocal on what is one of the few optimistic sounding tracks on the record. By contrast, ‘Everybody Lies’ and ‘Peace In Our Time’ seem coloured with genuine regret and anxiety concerning the current state of society in general, and in their melancholia reflect the bulk of the collection.
Occassionally, Handyside’s deeply earnest vocals can seem a touch overblown. The album’s title track, for instance, is a seven minute epic which at times feels like it could morph into Cliff Richard’s ‘Mistletoe and Wine’ (really!), but this is well-rounded debut, from an experienced and talented songwriter.