Paul Hawkins and Thee Awkward Silence - Apologies for the Enlightenment

  by Andrew Carver

published: 29 / 5 / 2010

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Review

The opener of ‘Apologies to the Enlightment’, Paul Hawkins 14-song grumble against modern society, is not the most promising, with a grim indistrial throb laid below The Lord’s Prayer (not to be attempted unless you’re Siouxsie and The Banshees). But once ‘The Beasts in the Upstairs Bedroom’ gets underway, with Hawkings heaping scorn on the false promises of modern technology over a grinding rock track with twisted violin and medical equipment noises added to the cacophony. It’s a heavy-handed opening, but fortunately Hawkins pulls back the racket on ‘The Day The Music Stopped’. His speak-sing vocals (think Mark E Smith without the repetition, with a bit of Joey Ramone) get a strong but clean rhythmic backing aided by shuddering rockabilly guitar for the story of one man who fails in the music business while the rest of life passes him by. One of the double album's high points is ‘I’m In Love with a Hospital Receptionist’, an archly comic tale of unrequited love whose protagonist stages increasingly improbable and alarming attempts at self-harm (“I lost a bicycle in my ear") as an excuse to meet the probably oblivious title character, only to find in the end the young lady has transferred to the morgue. Hawkins is less amused on ‘I’ve Had My Fun'. It is a vitriolic look at dull, dead-end jobs which makes good use of its thundering drums to underly both the protagonist’s hopeless existence and his rising ire. The other songs on the album's first half aren’t quite as successful. ‘Monkey Serum‘ is a bit too noisy and unclear about its intentions toward hucksterism, superstition and pseudo-science to make a point musically or lyrically. ‘Stop Making a Scene’ and ‘Seven Inches Tall’ zip by, making only a brief impression of their subjects, the need to lash out and feelings of insignificance. The second CD, titled ‘You’re Never Gonna Leave the Freakshow’ gets off to a strong start, with ‘The Yellow Castle on Tte Hill’. Backing vocals and Hawkins' relatively restrained vocal approach dials things back a bit for the story of a mental patient terrified at the prospect of his release. ‘Every Word I Say to you Today Will be a Lie’ finds Hawkins in a cheerful mood, even he’s cast himself as a character who can’t reveal his feelings to the object of his affection and is spiralling inevitably downward because of it. In the end, while all of Hawkin’s sad-sacks and heroic failures are hanging on by their fingernails, there’s still a twinkling of hope. The music varies from twangy guitars to cheesy drum machines, cacophony to fragile piano, and usually (but not always) provides a good support to Hawkins’ loping vocals. A somewhat eccentric work, ‘Apologies to the Enlightenment’ should appeal to people with Tom Waits and The Fall in their record collection.

Track Listing:-

1 The Beasts In The Upstairs Bedroom
2 The Day The Music Stopped
3 I'm In Love With A Hospital Receptionist
4 Monkey Serum
5 Stop Making A Scene
6 Seven Inches Tall
7 I've Had My Fun
8 The Yellow Castle On The Hill
9 Every Word I Say To You Today Will Be A Lie
10 You're Never Gonna Leave Behind The Freakshow
11 Alexander Martin
12 Eddie The Eagle
13 The Lowest Low
14 The Epilogue

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