Eclectic and more than occasionally brilliant, Calamateur is the work of one Andrew Howie, a lo-fi Scottish songwriter of no little talent. This is his first full-length release and it is peppered with great moments, from the Mogwai-meets-New Order of opener 'Half Truth' to the achingly fragile Sparklehorse crackle of 'Won't Last Forever'. Throughout 'The Old Fox of 45', Howie blends inventive instrumentation with simple melodies and a dreamy vocal to create a record which is both atmospheric and intimate. The pace is lethargic, but the aim is true and the heart is strong in this beautiful little record. 4/5.
                            Read more...
                        

                            
Based in the Scottish countryside, released on the miniscule Autoclave label, Calamateur's stunning album is a work of beauty that deserves to make Autoclave very rich people indeed. What took Snow Patrol's 3 albums and 4 people to accomplish, Calamateur's Andrew Howie manages straight off with songs of desolate beauty underpinned with a savage hope. Shivering, yearning epics, as sublime as his Blue Nile cover is it's not the best song here by any stretch. Buy it. 8/10.
                            Read more...
                        

                            
It's hard to find superlatives to describe the music of Calamateur. Not because they're hard to come by, they've simply been used up in previous reviews! This, the first full-length album from Andrew Howie, is simply another triumph. With Calamateur less of an Oldsolar side project now, the stripped-down sounds are still as thrilling as ever. The album actually starts with a full band - 'Half Truth' creates a massive sound driven by pulsating New Order-style bass and an almost singalong chorus. There's a cover of the Blue Nile's 'Automobile Noise' here too, with an overloaded beatbox driving what's almost a one-man dance remix. The Blue Nile comparison was one I'd never made before but whether it's the voice, or the at times sparse production I can't be sure, but at times The Old Fox seems like it might contain some long forgotten/destroyed demos from the legendary Glasgow trio. There's a couple of songs from their previous album - the title track from 'Son of Everyone' is given more bells and whistles in the new production but 'Here Beside' retains the starkness of the original. The jarring percussion on 'Your Only Friend' slowly drags an enthralling listen to a close. I can only echo the words of Jim Bowen : 'Super smashing great'.
                            Read more...
                        

                            
Calamateur's CD album, The Old Fox of '45, is a lot less strange than Tiny Pushes Vol. 1, the only other work I've heard from them. Having said that, it's still pretty strange, if for no other reason than the incredible diversity of styles it encompasses. The first three tracks take in assured and polished REM-style melodic rock, noisy and glitchy vocal electronica and effortlessly swooning acoustic sadness. So it goes on, swinging from style to style, but never losing the core qualities of a confident voice, tuneful compositions and sharp, clean production. At times that clean production threatens to sap the soul from the music at times, but that's just the view of somebody with a slightly twisted and illogical view of independent music.
                            Read more...