GEORGE BARNETT / 17 Days [2012]

As the first full length release for UK musician George Barnett, 17 Days is quite impressive. Beside the occasional special guest, all instruments and vocals are recorded by Barnett in various bedrooms and bathrooms and was initially released for free as a "fuck you" to copywriters as he owns all his masters and in his own words "can do whatever the fuck I want with them". Despite that it still sounds very professional and well put together. The tracklist covers various moods from happy go lucky pop to mournful introspection. While not all were my cup of tea they all felt good and best of all fresh which alone makes it worth some time.

Songs of Note: Superhero In A Ball; Abraham

4½ Talented people make me feel inadequate out of 5

Nutted by: Impudent Urinal

MITCH MALLOY / Ceilings & Walls (1994)

Despite Malloy's brief stint as singer for Van Halen this is pretty far from that and what I was expecting. The whole album is sappy poetry that seems it should be written in a teenage girl's notebook. I should have been tipped off with its tagline, "You've heard these songs before, but until now they were only in your heart." :BARF: "We run from ceilings and walls"... what does that even mean? Speak for yourself, Mitch. It could have been saved if he mixed it up a bit instead of all cheesy faux-ballads and while bland it is at least technically competent. I would rather hear more of that pianist in the background.

Songs of Note: This Time; Tumbling Down

1½ I can't believe this was labeled as Rock out of 5

Nutted by Impudent Urinal