Albatross

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 		This is obviously what living in rural Ireland does to you. Albatross does darkwave type stuff, but living in Leitrim Village has obviously messed his mind up a bit, because it's all a bit strange. It kicks of fairly normally with the short bleepy 'Start' and then into the droning vocals and sparse beats of 'Fuck Plato', but then the music stops and a violin screeches all over the place before settling down to a minor key sound and the beats and vocals return. Then 'Compromise' is straightforward folky piece, just guitar and a soft melodic vocal, while 'Wings of love' is a strange piano driven piece that could be from the '40s, with a whole load of strange animal noises and an upbeat vocal line. It gets a whole lot weirder with the mad fun-park sound of '40000 volts' with a spooky backing and dark moody vocals, while 'Alone' has a full-on snarling trad Goth sound. It twists and turns from here, dark moody darkwave stuff, weird folky numbers and strange noises, all mixed up and fairly crazy, like the absolutely nuts 'Millennium'. Sometimes it falls down a bit, on the rather flat 'Burn', or the droning Throbbing Gristle-esque 'Unaesthetic song', but that's understandable when you try as many different sounds as on here. This is diverse, adventurous and completely unpredictable and, while it doesn't always sound brilliant, Shay Leon should be commended for trying so many sounds.

Sorted Magazine

The following reviews are for "..I once had a brain.." which was a very early version of "Joy". It was available through mp3.com.

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This is nutty music, which in fact reminds me alot of Patrick Fitzgerald's first releases for it's aggression and unexpected approach. Don't expect catchy tunes or high tech production, no, this is witchcraft drawn into musical escapism. This guy has got bollocks you rarely find these days, give "?I once had a brain?" a good production and this release could quickly find its way to a selected public. Soon a cult item amongst the outer limits of the musicscene? (bvi/Side Line)

Rating: 5 (out of five)
Albatross, a one-man band from Ireland, could be described as experimental. But that leaves a lot to the imagination. So electronic Gothic circus rock will have to do. Using distorted vocals over synths and samples, Albatross might make the listener think of the Doors with a computer and a mental disorder. From misanthropic ("Alone") to happy in a sort of manic-depressive way ("Wings of love"), there is a very dark feel throughout. Lyrics like "As I clean the pieces of your brain/I never thought you look this way from the inside" provide a sort of macabre wit. Though Albatross is an acquired taste, he gets an A+ for effort and originality. So if you have an open mind musically, be sure to give a listen. I know I will....
G. Michael Short/ Dead Celebrities

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