22 Nov 2024
UsernamePassword

Remember Me? | Join | Recover
Click here to sign in via social networking

Bevan Mical - Album Review: Exhausting The Muse

07 Oct 2021 // A review by Kev Rowland

For anyone who has come across Bevan Mical’s single, Weekend, we now have an album which is very similar in style and approach to that song, which is one of the 11 songs in the set. When I reviewed that previously, I said it needed repeated playing to get the most out of it, but somewhat strangely the familiarity throughout the album works in the same way, so that the more one gets through this the more there is to enjoy. Bevan famously said that he is inspired by all forms of music from Fraggle Rock to Eminem, Crowded House to P!nk, and one can certainly imagine this music being featured on Jim Henson’s show. It may be naive, with some dated drum machine at times, but the vocals and acoustic guitar combined with keyboards is incredibly catchy and there are plenty of hooks and fun to be had.

There are little lyrical and musical jokes here and there as well. For example, during Me, there is the line Silence is Golden, so the song immediately stops for a couple of seconds and then starts up again as if nothing had happened. Contrast the lyrics in that song to You!!!, which are far more suitable to hardcore or extreme metal than pop, although again there is a twist in the last line. It is only by listening to a complete album that one really understands Bevan’s approach, in that while there are strong similarities in the songs which carry throughout, this adds to the homeliness and instead of diminishing, adds to the overall effect.

This is lightweight alternative pop music which must be enjoyed for what it is, simple and with no deep layers to be uncovered. That in itself is somewhat refreshing, as what you hear from Bevan in the first song is pretty much what you are going to get through the whole album. There is no show, this is straightforward, with Bevan being honest, so what you hear is what you get and this certainly grows on you by the end.

Rating: ( 3 / 5 )
 

About Bevan Mical

Bevan Mical comes from a small town called Turua (twice seen) in New Zealand & pulls his songs from the long history of music.

His mother died at the tender age of 28 & with no Father taking over parental responsibilities he was moved to his fathers parents where hard work was the goal & relaxation was earned.

Music was felt deep down from an early age & in 1996 Bevan saw Crowded House : Farewell To The World & was mesmerized by the Waikato born Neil Finn & decided to learn the guitar.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Bevan Mical

Releases

Division & Difference
Year: 2023
Type: Album
Exhausting The Muse
Year: 2021
Type: Album
Swinging Through Trees
Year: 2020
Type: Album
One At A Time
Year: 2017
Type: Album

Other Reviews By Kev Rowland

Gig Review: Crushfest @ The Tuning Fork, Auckland - 07/07/2023
07 Jul 2023 // by Kev Rowland
So it was down to Tuning Fork for the first night of the second Crushfest festival. Tonight was going to be Wellington and Auckland bands, and then some of the same will be playing at the second night in Wellington next month.
Read More...
Rain - Single Review: Love and War
15 Jun 2023 // by Kev Rowland
It has been quite a while since I last heard from Wellington-based singer songwriter Cathy Elizabeth, and back then Rain was seen solely as a studio project with Cathy being accompanied by Thomas Te Taite, who provided all the instrumentation including digital drums. Now they are a full band who have been performing live, and it is the first time they have recorded as such, with Thomas now, just providing acoustic guitar (plus engineering and producing etc.
Read More...
Lost Vessels - Single Review: All This Time
01 Jun 2023 // by Kev Rowland
I must admit I was not that impressed when I first saw Lost Vessels play at Crushfest, something they later admitted to me was the worst gig of their career, but since then they have improved in leaps and bounds. This has been noticed by others on the Auckland circuit as they are getting more opportunities with better support slots, and I was not at all surprised when they won the Ding Dong Lounge Battle Of The Bands in November last year.
Read More...
Unwanted Subject - Single Review: Sons of Savages
28 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
I have caught Unwanted Subject in concert a few times over the last couple of years, and while they have been getting better each time I have seen them, I must admit that nothing prepared me for this, which right from the off is a monster. I have never heard them quite this is aggressive, nor as polished, and this multi-sectioned single sounds almost like a different band as they have pushed their metal roots to the max in this metalcore beast which sees them mixing and blending different genres to create something quite special.
Read More...
Gig Review: Stray Dogs @ AUX, Auckland - 26/05/2023
28 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
So it was back to Ding Dong Lounge on a Friday night for one of their infamous Emo nights, which tonight was a three-band bill with Stray Dogs having an extended set, supported by Altaea and then up first we had Blindr, a band new to me. Blindr are a quartet featuring Bill Caldwell (vocals, guitar), Blake Woodfield (lead guitar), Jack Power (bass), and Charlie McCracken (drums).
Read More...
Gig Review: Turkey The Bird @ The Ministry of Folk, Auckland - 27/05/2023
27 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Back up to Auckland Guide Centre in Mount Eden tonight for my second consecutive gig (Sol suggested it was a turkey sandwich as I am at Vader tomorrow) to see Taranaki’s finest, Turkey The Bird at The Ministry of Folk. Before that we of course had Hoop, who are Al Baxter (vocals, guitar, harmonica, banjo, mandolin), Nick Edgar (vocals, guitar, ukulele, flute, harmonica), Emily Allen (violin, viola), Glenn Coldham (bass) while tonight Gary Hunt was filling in for drummer Rusty Knox.
Read More...
This Silent Divide - Single Review: Beautiful Creature
25 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Here we have the latest single from Wellington-based melodic hard rock quartet This Silent Divide, entitled Beautiful Creature. I really enjoyed their Tall Stories EP, and they played a great gig at Dead Witch towards the end of last year, and this would have been recorded at about the same time.
Read More...
Gig Review: Emily Rice @ Your Local Coffee Roasters, Pukekohe - 24/05/2023
24 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Earlier this week I had a message from Emily Rice asking me if I lived in South Auckland. When I responded I did, she asked if I would be interested in coming along to an event she was putting on in a coffee shop in Pukekohe to celebrate the release of her new single, Warenoa.
Read More...
View All Articles By Kev Rowland

NZ Top 10 Singles

  • APT.
    ROSÉ And Bruno Mars
  • DIE WITH A SMILE
    Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars
  • BIRDS OF A FEATHER
    Billie Eilish
  • TASTE
    Sabrina Carpenter
  • I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
    Gracie Abrams
  • ESPRESSO
    Sabrina Carpenter
  • SAILOR SONG
    Gigi Perez
  • LOSE CONTROL
    Teddy Swims
  • A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
    Shaboozey
  • GOOD LUCK, BABE!
    Chappell Roan
View the Full NZ Top 40...
muzic.net.nz Logo
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report a ProblemReport A Problem