I Am Spartacus - At Home With the Devil

  by Lisa Torem

published: 8 / 7 / 2011

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Review

I Am Spartacus AKA Luke Justice Telford, is a 25-year-old British, bred-in-Cumbrian songwriter whose early inspirations were as diverse as David Bowie, Van Morrison and The Beatles. The sensitive singer/songwriter/guitarist attempted to fit into existing ensembles early on in his career; only to find that many found his music uncategorical. During his teenage years, he had broadened his tastes to include the often darker, sometimes esoteric expressions of Jeff Buckley, Elliot Smith and Joy Division. All of these, as well as, his previous influences, however, managed to come together through his own thought-provoking repertoire. I Am Spartacus relocated to London in 2005 where he seriously began producing demos; documenting his work with his recounts of heartbreak and humour. His new CD, 'At Home With the Devil' embraces his most heartfelt thoughts and observations. It starts with ‘This is England’ which has tongue-in-cheek lyrics, like: “My name is James the 1st and now I’m dead Didn’t realize when you were the king/they cut off your head.” Accompanied by simple guitar strums, this one, and his other songs, showcase vocals and striking nuance. ‘I Want You To Remember’ has a melody that splatters in every direction and this line which brings it all together; “The good book says if you’re old, you must be golden.” ‘At Home With the Devil’ is caustic, yet, oddly, pretty. The narrative includes references to a “wife” and “baby.”The guitar work offers up some quasi-Flamenco; a nice and subtle touch. ‘Rise From Your Grave’(“for all eternity”) is surprisingly uplifting, despite its ironic message. ‘A Graph of X=Y’ switches over to spoken word where the subject seems to relate to algorhythms and where it is embellished by racy guitar riffs. Another welcome deviation is ‘Lawrence Take Aquaba (Parts I & II)’ which features a tantalizing bass line, a scratchy guitar riff and a rhythmic swing. It is the only instrumental, and, though unexpected, a welcome transitional device, between the other songs which are more traditional singer/songwriter fare. ‘Snake Hips’ with its cleverly, odd title, also makes great use of this artist’s creativity. ‘Pretty in Pink’ is a heartbreaking narrative with more quirk; “So cold you have socks on your hands…” Spartacus adds much emotion with his tear-stained voice. ‘You’re A Liar & A Cheat & A Dirty, Dirty Thief (You Treat Me Like An Animal)’ sounds incredibly personal - poor Spartacus! His distinctive guitar work returns as well as an upheaval of wayward expression. ‘The E-Mail (Reprise)’ is then short and symphonic, after which the other ‘The E-Mail’ composition rises in crescendo. ‘Take My Bones’ might be the song that most defines I Am Spartacus and his unique eerie/beautiful musings: “Take my bones, take them back to the sea/I want them to rest happily.” These visceral ideas are enhanced by potent, backing vocals. “At Home With The Devil” transcends cliché and formula. I Am Spartacus and his wildly inventive world view allows plenty of room for pondering.

Track Listing:-

1 This Is England
2 I Want You To Remember
3 Rise From Your Grave
4 At Home With The Devil
5 A Graph of X=Y
6 Lawrence Takes Aqaba(Parts I & III)
7 Snake Hips
8 Pretty In Pink
9 You're A Liar & A Cheat & A Dirty Little Thief
10 The Email(Reprise)
11 Take My Bones
12 The Email