Luminous Guitar
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US $4.75
Debuts are always exciting, none more than the Stateside arrival this summer of pop rockers Lawrence Arabia and Crowded House. Since reuniting in 2006, guitarist Neil Finn and his Crowded House band have continued to enjoy commercial success both on the road and with album sales. Finn and Lawrence Arabia, New Zealand natives, also share an affinity for the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and creative songwriting chops, perfect ingredients for an exciting show.
Lawrence Arabia is the pseudonym of James Milne, who was looking for a dashing presence, an identification that would take him out of his everyday self. His latest album, "Chant Darling," is proof that his musical persona overflows with imagination and melodies. One can almost feel the undulation of Pacific Ocean waves in "The Beautiful Young Crew" and "The Crew of the Commodore," no small wonder given his love of the sea.
The album was recorded over eighteen months in Stockholm, London, Port Chalmers, Wellington and Auckland. He chose the title for its intrigue and his preference for combining things that are completely different. He points out that the New Zealand accent (when the title is spoken by a native) adds further interest by suggesting sea chanteys and other things that have a nautical relationship. Adding to the mystical mix is his close friendship with a Buddhist. The album was so well received that one of the songs, "Apple Pie Bed," received the Apra Silver Scroll award for best New Zealand song of the year.
Milne laughs when reminded that a flat Brooklyn accent or one from South Philadelphia might not lend the title words the same kind of allure his own accent projects. No matter, the songs are awash with melody and the laid back mellowness that characterized the Beatles.
The lush vocals are provided by the band members themselves, Milne on guitar together with his drummer, bassist, trumpeter and keyboardist. He describes the Lawrence Arabia style as old-fashioned pop music. Despite a bow to the artists he grew up listening to, his melodies are fresh and luminous, the lyrics a lovely balance between everyday and otherworldly.
He normally composes by getting away from the studio, often creating melodies in his head while walking down the street. Sometimes an unexpected inspiration arises when he picks up a different guitar. Depending upon the guitar he plays, what comes out will amaze him.
He acknowledges that growing up in New Zealand has influenced his music because its location makes one a little less worried about what is going on in the rest of the world. He finds real strength in its isolation which is relaxing and removes all pressure to conform. On the other hand, the nautical distance can make a native yearn to get out and around at times.
Milne was encouraged to pursue a career in music by his father, who once played in a band. Along the way, he made friends who acknowledged his talent and gave him the confidence to believe in himself. Now that he is on a tour that will take Lawrence Arabia across the United States and Canada, he looks forward to making new fans who gravitate to his style and eagerly follow his evolution into the next decade.
"We're playing to thousands of people on this tour, ninety-nine percent who have never heard us," he says. "If they like us, we have nothing to lose."
Emily Cary is a prize-winning teacher and novelist whose articles about entertainers appear regularly in the DC Examiner. She is a genealogist, an avid traveler, and a researcher who incorporates landscapes, cultures and the power of music in her books and articles.
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