13 Mar 2008 // A review by Trevor Faville
Paul McLaney has had a varied and interesting career to date – being a key contributor to Gramsci, SJD and Concord Dawn, among others. According to McLaney himself, his previous solo effort Edin was somewhat of a watershed for him as a solo performer and when commenting on this collection he reveals the intent of writing songs with just voice and guitar as “the entire framework outside of the lyric” as he puts it.

So the sound then, is finger picked acoustic guitar and voice. No extra instruments - no overdubs - and a dynamic level that palpably ignores the epic levels of volume apparently necessary nowadays. The result is a compelling combination of intimacy and intensity that earns your attention instead of screaming for it.

Finding reference points for McLaney's voice is hard – a good thing - and his own citing of influences like Dylan and Nick Drake refer more to song writing intent than vocal style. Throughout though, one is put in mind of the best moments of the Californian singer songwriters of the 70s. Initmate, lyrical and more country tinged than blues flavoured.

Highlights prove difficult to single out as well, but if you wanted a representative sample, check out Love Song To Cupid and Like I’ve Never Heard It Before.

Diamond Side is a collection of songs that matches up with the expectations of the writer, which is no mean achievement, and is something of which Paul McLaney should be justifiably proud.

Diamond Side
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Growing up in the shadows of North-East England's sprawling petrochemical factories then transplanted worlds away to the idle wiles of Aotearoa's northern reaches; music was the only constant in the life of Paul McLaney, singer and guitar-player. Yet his music has only furthered his travels, and his stylistic leanings have been anything but constant. From folky pop and thunderous rock 'n' roll spanning the exploits of his band Gramsci to complete immersion in electronic music collaborations, McLaney's life has been one of movement.

McLaney’s earlier efforts illustrate the many threads that he weaves into his musical tapestry. Beginning with 1998’s The Prayer Engine, a solo effort of 2000 copies sold at McLaney’s first public outings as a performer, turning through the gentle electronically-tinged folk pop of Gramsci’s first two albums Permanence (2000) and Object (2001) with collaborator David Holmes, the soul-searching acoustic purity of 2003’s The Shadows of Birds Flying Fall Slowly Down the Tall Buildings before 2005’s critically-acclaimed return of Gramsci, complete with hard-charged grandiose guitar rock, on Like Stray Voltage, McLaney has traversed musical horizons like the traveller he is.

In 2006, McLaney went south, heading to Dunedin to record his first Loop released album, Edin – at the NZBC recording studio with recording engineer, Dale Cotton, drummer Nick Gaffeney and bass player Richie Pickard. The critically acclaimed and Tui nominated album, was a turning point for McLaney and saw him come close to finding paradise, and to finding himself as a musician.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Paul McLaney

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