Malcolm Middleton – Sleight of Hand
Sleight of Hand – Malcolm Middleton
By Chris Peken
Following the amicable split of Arab Strap a couple of years ago, Malcolm Middleton has continued on his merry solo way, following up last year’s A Brighter Beat with Sleight of Hand. Arab Strap fans will be familiar with the down beat vocal style and the delightful Scottish lilt that is Middleton’s trademark, but Sleight of Hand sees a return to a simpler recording style, the organic instrumentation approach bringing a new lightness to Middleton’s often self-absorbed and introspective feel. Think My Friend the Chocolate Cake fronted by a shy, quietly spoken Scot. With Mogwai’s Barry Burns on piano and a double bass, drum and violin ensemble Middleton breezes through tunes that in the past may have tended to brood under his more studio and electronic approach. Week Off name checks Fleetwood Mac and Polyphonic as well as confessing: “I’ll write a good song just give me more time / It’s easy hating yourself it’s hard making it rhyme”. Middleton will never be one to shout from the rooftops, he is more likely to be the man in an overcoat, collar turned up, quietly reciting poetry to himself to see if it still sounds good. He is currently working on yet another album (that would be three in 12 months) that he confesses “…sounds like a fat child throwing a Casio keyboard down a flight of stairs and hitting an old man at the bottom who’s playing Verve songs very badly on an over-priced guitar” – thank god we are in no rush to replace Sleight of Hand yet.
*** 1/2
