The number of artists working on music that relies heavily on good melodic sense, which includes high levels of sophistication within both the music and the lyrics is growing by the day. But, at the same time, so grows the quality level that is required for such music to reach its audience and make its mark.
These are exactly the high-wave waters in which Northern England singer-songwriter Mick Butler, aka SICKY is trying to swim in with his latest album Garbage Town.
After playing in a number of bands, Butler is now trying to forge ahead solo by trying to come up with complex, melodic pop and equally sophisticated lyrics in the mode of the best Britpop artists like Blur or Supergrass or artists from the other side of the Atlantic like Beck.
Of course, that is a much more complicated task than it sounds on paper because it requires ample amounts of talent and capabilities to come up with music that at the same time sticks to a certain formula but also brings something more inventive along the way.
Yet on Garbage Town Butler seems to be skimming on the garbage and is coming up with the real (pop) goods that are actually both substantive and listenable at the same time. An excellent effort.
