19 Nov Real Groove
Issue 186/November 2009
Auckland blues/country rocker’s poetic lyricism and adept musicianship continues to impress. The rollicking country rock and roll from Aucklander and one part of Reb Fountain’s band of Bandits bares his minds preoccupations in his third thoughtful album. Featuring Fountain as well as jazz singer Caitlin Smith, Jonny Barker and an array of other local talent, Out of the Soup is peopled with lyrics about existentialism, anti-religion, colourful politicians, WWII troops and reckless drivers in expensive cars (yes!). Storey almost touches on a formidable amount of literary lyricism, but never does it obscure the lucid musicianship and enjoyable laid-back feel of his songs. A popular and steady feature of Auckland’s music scene, his harsh, biting voice is reminiscent of another, very famous Dylan (see Lies Make an honest Man), while his guitar work and riffery reminds, on occasion of Neil Young (Sartre’s Hell). A potent poet, he reflects intelligently on his homeland, universal ideas and corruption atop pyschedelia-tinged blues, rock and country. It is one of the more unique and impressively intelligent of local works. Sarah Gooding.