SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE PALFREYMAN COLLECTIVE – THE PALFREYMAN COLLECTIVE

The Palfreyman Collective
The Palfreyman Collective
Diteli Media

In 2017, David Palfreyman and Nicholas Pegg released the ambitious and brilliant album Decades. Since that album Palfreyman has come up with a new project, The Palfreyman Collective. The Palfreyman Collective is exactly as the title would imply. Here is a collective of musicians who have worked with Palfreyman, and have come together to make this project come alive. And they surpass that expectation. This is a brilliant album. The Palfreyman Collective incorporates a number of styles and genres and brings it all together under one umbrella. It is a remarkable achievement.

The musicians who are enlisted for this album are impressive. From singers Paul Manzi (The Sweet/Arena), Jesse Smith (The Classic Rock Show/ Gutterdammerung), Damien Edwards, Allegra Shock and Sarah Jane Morris (Communards), to guitarists Jono Harrison, Greg Hart (Cats in Space), to the astounding sounds of Gary Barnacle on saxophones, this is a tight, talented band. Add drummers Martin Barker (Shriekback/Marianne Faithful, Tim Robbins), Matt Hector (Iggy Pop), keyboardist David Clayton (David Bowie) and bassists Ben Miles and Dan McKinna, you have a very awesome backing band to bring these songs alive.

Palfreyman brings everything together. He gives voice to the project but does not always stay centre stage. In fact, it is quite the opposite. He allows others to shine but in the end, it is his project and he sounds fantastic. His vocals are very strong and emotional and the arrangements are close to flawless. The musicians work together and sound like they have been playing together for years.

The album opens with the wonderful “To Die To Be Really Dead”, which may seem like a dour way to open an album, but the opposite is true. With the heavy drumming, this homage to vampires, and those classic Universal horror films from the 19302, is quite an exciting way to get the album going. Palfreyman has never sounded better and the backing vocals are reminiscent of 1970s glam rock. This leads to the stunningly beautiful “Invaluable Soul” featuring Damien Edwards on vocals and it is brilliant. This is the beauty of the album, it switches gears when you least expect it.

The album is full of surprises. Check out “Isn’t It So”, the guitar and saxophone exchange turns a love song into a new level. It has a 60s feel, and yet it is contemporary. Then the collective moves on to straight ahead rock with the wonderful “Jaded Zone Driver” (which is a great title). The album ends with the moving “Afraid of The Morning”, which features Sarah Jane Morris dueting with Palfreyman. It is a brilliant song and a great way to end the album.

The Palfreyman Collective is an interesting and brilliant album. Quite like classic albums of the past, and Palreyman’s last project Decades, the album cannot be defined in one genre. Palyfreyman brings his love of music and influences into the album. He rolls everything together and comes up with his own sound and his own distinct album. There is so much to discover on the album, musically and lyrically, that it is well worth giving it a few spins before you can be sure of what you heard. It is a wonderful and creative work.

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