Lynchpin - Hand Picked Words
This second album from Melbourne, Australia's Lynchpin is packed full of pleasant mid-tempo numbers with heartfelt sentiments. Hand-Picked Words builds on the melodic tendencies of their debut, again providing a full sound that belies the fact that they're only a trio.
Guitarist/lead vocalist Andy Kirkland, drummer Glen King and bassist Dave Stevens have been together for a decade or so, and the tight sound reflects that long-term togetherness. While their previous effort was lauded in the U.S. and Japan, they've remained a fairly well kept secret in their native Australia. This collection of pretty and well-produced songs should change that.
Shane O'Mara (IceCream Hands) and Richard Pleasance (Paul Kelly, Suzanne Vega) produced and mixed the new one, while Jonathan Wyner (Aimee Mann, Nirvana) mastered it. This team has brought a suitably lush feel to the music, while still able to maintain an intimacy that serves the songs.
"So Damn Obvious," the album's first single, is a cute, upbeat tale of one who is oblivious to the "head over heel" attentions of a woman he thinks is out of his league. Already this infectious song has gotten airplay on Australian radio and the band has performed it on a few TV shows there.
The follow up to that will be "C'mon Baby Now," another very catchy tune, this one exploring the difficulties of trust in a relationship: "C'mon baby now / poison me with lies you cannot keep / I'm reflecting now / and wondering just how on earth I'll sleep /
this secret's hard to keep / C'mon baby now / coincidence is just a term you try /
cheap protection from the feelings that you know you can't deny / do your rules still apply?"
Trust is also the subject of "Under My Guard," a sweet ballad about the inadvertent armor we create around ourselves in relationships. This song is driven by the rhythm section of King and Stevens, and features some nice organ work from guest Matthew Vehl.
Lynchpin knows how to create melodic pop that resonates in a big way. "Don't Talk About Us," the CD opener, is a delicious plea for agreed upon deception. The couple's no longer together, but "no matter what they say, don't talk about us" is the request. The wonderful chorus shows by example exactly how it's handled: "I'm fine / I'm fine, thank you / thanks for asking but I'm fine / and she's fine / she's great, thank you / thanks for asking but she's fine." Dave Stevens provides some impressive bass work on this one. Musically, Lynchpin's sound references the early work of Crowded House, with Kirkland's vocals reminiscent of a younger Neil Finn. The song "Inside Her Head" (and its arrangement) sounds very much like it could be a Finn/Crowded House composition, while "It's Too Late" also recalls that magical early Crowded House sound (even down to the organ solo).
Still, Lynchpin's sound is very much their own, with harmonies and musical accents that fill the headphones, yet remain spare enough to convey the emotions behind the lyrics' intent.
Kirkland plays some sweet jangly guitar on the haunting "Is There Anyone Out There," a soft song that looks for someone in the universe as kindred spirit, feeling the same way about chasing down a love as some comet racing across the sky.
Another highlight is the uptempo "It's All Good," wherein a man is transformed by his ladylove into doing and acting differently, visiting concertos, opera, art galleries, etc. without regrets: "I'd rather shop than go to the game / my seasons tickets have gone down the drain."
Harmonies drive "Jessica," a dulcet and dear farewell to an intriguing love. Perhaps the most beautiful song here though is the delicate "Four In The Morning," a tune of wistful regrets and lonely longing bathed in strings (ably provided by Mary Johnston and Willem Van Der Vis).
Playful lyrics dominate "Breathing Down My Neck," featuring lines like this: "the trigger happy locomotive that I call defense / has now been crushed by the mortar and the pestle on the bench / and you're insightful in a dubious way / and as I rifle through the games that you play."
"Why Don't You Face It," a musical examination of a doomed illicit love affair between a married man and his secretary, has a Glenn Tilbrook/Squeeze feel to it, as well as a hint of Neil Finn's "Sinner."
These fourteen songs are a very strong sophomore effort (thirteen listed tracks, plus a bonus-hidden string and vocals only version of "Don't Talk About Us"). Lynchpin has matured some as a band, concentrating on their song craft, seeking respect more than popularity this time around (though one can follow the other).
These tracks cover traditional relationship issues (trust, deception, loneliness and more) in intelligent ways, but couch them in mellifluous melodies that get put across with a healthy serving of vocal honesty and soul. Hand-Picked Words features songs that happily will stick in your heart and mind for a long time to come.
Gary Glauber,- PopMatters Music Review, USA, 2003 - www.popmatters.com
Lynchpin - Hand Picked Words
Second album from this Australian trio, whose debut was comprised of tunes dating back to 1998. Singer Andy Kirkland often sounds like the Oz version of Glen Tilbrook. Kirkland's effortless white soul voice aches with tenderness. Augmented by the rhythm section of Glen King (drums) and Dave Stevens (bass), the band envelopes with warmth, using temperate mid-tempo grooves as the foundation for the alternatively pleading, sad and wistful/hopeful melodies. For the most part, this album builds on the strengths of the first record, as the songs are in the vein of Squeeze and early Crowded House (falling somewhere in between, actually), and have some nifty observational lyrics. My favorite cut is the spunky pub-rocking "It's All Good", about a guy who is whipped by his girlfriend, if you know what I mean. Actually, he's kind of liking it, yet kind of wondering if maybe it's going too far: "I'd rather shop than go to the game/my season's tickets have gone down the drain." This song would be a good follow up to the single "So Damn Obvious", where Kirkland tells a mate to open up eyes and do a pull on the girl whose been mistakenly placed in the "too hard basket". This song builds from light chukka-chukka guitar to some ringing lead parts in the chorus -- when the summery backing vocals kick in during the guitar solo, you know this song belongs in the winner's circle. Probably the main flaw with the album is that it could use a couple more temperate tunes like these. But this doesn't mean the primarily mid-tempo and slow numbers aren't up to snuff. "Four in the Morning" is augmented by strings and really spotlights Kirkland's wonderful pipes -- a heartbreaker of a tune. Even better is "Why Don't You Face It", which incisively looks at a woman running around with a married co-worker (Squeeze comparisons are very appropo here too). And loping songs like "Under My Guard" just feel good. I would love to see Lynchpin find a producer on par with a Brad Jones, who could allow them to continue to follow their ambitions. This is literate, catchy and full of heart.
Mike Bennett Capsule Reviews- Fufkin USA, August, 2003 - www.fufkin.com
Sarah Ortenzio of Beat Magazine talking with Dave Stevens about Lynchpin & Hand Picked Words
Upon hearing the fresh sound of Lynchpin, you may be quite surprised to
discover that they’ve been around for a decade now. The trio - consisting of
Glen King, Andy Kirkland and Dave Stevens - have enjoyed substantial success in
the US and Japan, while remaining a rather well kept secret here in Australia.
The release of their second album, Hand-Picked Words, has already sparked much
interest and is poised to propel them to new heights.
If you haven’t heard
this name as yet and you’re a footy fan, then you’ll definitely see these guys
on Thursday night. Lynchpin will be closing The Footy Show. “It’s pretty
exciting for us.” Dave beams. “It’s a bit of a kook because they don’t normally
have bands on there. Even more so because we’ve been largely rejected by the
mainstream, and it really doesn’t get any more mainstream than The Footy Show!”
Things are travelling along nicely for Lynchpin at present, and it certainly
can’t hurt to have Eddie McGuire as a fan.
Andy’s vocals incessantly attract
a Crowded House comparison for Lynchpin. Indeed Andy’s voice is strikingly
similar, however the styles between bands are rather dissimilar. Lynchpin have
made every effort to avoid being pigeonholed, and as a result, they’re reluctant
to describe their music. “We prefer people to make their own judgements.” Dave
explains. “Lynchpin have a sound of their own, and even when we throw in a cover
in a live set, it will be transformed into our own style.” While Lynchpin is a
rather humble three-piece, they can certainly boast a large sound. Reviews over
the years have consistently commented on the huge sound they produce live. “I
guess we’re almost like a six-piece, because we all provide vocals as well as
playing an instrument.” Then Dave finally concedes. “Melodic pop is the easiest
way to describe it. “
When a band has been around for so long, it’s
interesting to note how aims and goals have altered over the years. “Initially,
our aim was to be popular,” Dave admits. “But it’s changed now because reality
set in. As you get older it’s more of a craft than a ploy to become a pop star.
We’d much rather have our music respected now than to be famous.” The fact that
Lynchpin feel this way now, while at the brink of making a huge impact in the
industry, is almost poetic. “We concentrate on the music itself now. We’re
comfortable that we’ve released the best album possible, regardless of whether a
record company thinks it’s good.”
Thus, Lynchpin’s songs are now comprised of
Hand-Picked Words that are already kissing the ears of intent listeners in this
country and beyond. So where exactly are these words hand-picked from? “We don’t
know exactly.” Dave says with a smile. “We don’t try to be anything - the songs
just come from somewhere. There’s no particular agenda when we write.” The
thirteen tracks on the album deal with many relationship issues which most of us
can relate to. Breaking up, affairs, pressure, the games we play, deception and
so on. Such ever-topical matters never grow old in the hearts of listeners, and
the success Hand-Picked Words has already attracted is adequate testament to
this.
So what kind of expectations do Lynchpin hold for the coming weeks
with this album release? “Any sort of exposure is great for us. It’s the feature
album on Nova this week and other stations are picking up on it also. We’re
hoping to capitalise on this exposure while it’s fresh. You don’t often get
opportunities like this - like with The Footy Show - it mostly all comes down to
word of mouth. The best we can hope for is that people realise our music isn’t
disposable; it’s not reliant on any trend or fashion. I think if people can put
on your record in one year, or in five years, and still be able to say that it’s
a good record - that’s when you know you’ve made it.”
Beat Magazine, July 2003
Lynchpin - Hand Picked Words
Melbourne pop band Lynchpin have made several good moves with their second album. One of them was hiring producer Shane O'Mara. He brings a rich but not overloaded feeling, similar to that he produced on the most recent Icecream Hands album. The other good move was resisting the urge to get too energetic, preferring to play in the sandpit of mid-tempo songs in which soul rather than beat matters.
extracts from Bernard Zuel - Sydney Morning Herald 24th July 03
Lynchpin - Hand Picked Words
"What makes a memorable song, anyway? Hooks and harmonies and beat, of course, but perhaps it's the soul, that inherent passion that reaches past our facades and distractions to cradle our minds and kickstart our hearts. HAND PICKED WORDS overflows with soul. Melodic and infectious, Lynchpin delivers on track after track, dancing majestically in the rarified air of Crowded House and Fountains Of Wayne. A stone-cold lock for 2003's best-of lists."
Bill Holmes of Amplifier Magazine USA, June 2003
Lynchpin - Hand Picked Words
We enjoyed the debut of Lynchpin "18 Eleven" for a lot of reasons we *love* the sophomore album "Hand-Picked Words". More breathless harmonies, flawless melodies and a strong spirit of the quieter moments of The Posies. But it's all here in stronger, more focused and highly enjoyable songs. You'll hear plenty of the finer moments of Crowded House, The Rembrandts, Stephen Duffy and Michael Penn all over this 13 song winner. But early Posies is still a defining inspirational center. Co-lead singers Andy Kirkland and Glen King have perfectly blended voices that compliment each other to add a new layer to the production. There's an emotional center on this release that grounds it at every turn. It's a confident assertion of what they do best.....sing. And sing like birds. But this time, the songs are so much stronger and driven by more energy, which have memorable and happily nagging melodies. Extremely Highly Recommended.
review from Not Lame Records, USA, May 2003
SOME HAND-PICKED WORDS ABOUT LYNCHPIN
“Is there anyone out there?”
Local Lads Lynchpin mean business. They made their album Hand
Picked Words,with producers Shane O’Mara and Richard Pleasance, and got it
mixed in the US with Jonathon Wyner, who has worked with Nirvana and David
Bowie. They’re now shooting for management in Australia and the US where they
toured last year. The hard work has paid off for the band - Andy Kirkland, Glen
King and Dave Stevens. Hand Picked Words is a polished piece of pop,
ready-made for the adventurous radio programmers (Nova has already given the
opening track, Don’t Talk About Us a good run).
Lynchpin are playing
with the Icecream Hands at The Cornish Arms on Saturday night.
article from Inpress, issue 739, 20th November 2002 by: Jeff Jenkins,
Senior Music Editor
Various Artists
THE GENE PITNEY STORY RETOLD
(To M'Lou)
Late last summer, I was driving back from Nashville, having successfully completed a quest to see Pernice Brothers in concert. Trying to find some road music, I scanned the FM dial, and quickly settled on a station with the good sense to play my favorite Gene Pitney song, "It Hurts to Be in Love". Little did I know I would keep the radio tuned to that station until the signal faded away. Turned out I was listening to Dick Clark's weekly radio show and he was shining a spotlight on Mr. Pitney. A lucky break for me. Oldies radio has reduced Pitney's legacy to a few songs, and while "A Town Without Pity" and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" cast a large shadow, that day I was finally educated as the full extent of Pitney's greatness. I was blown away by every chestnut Clark rolled out, from the rockers to the ballads to some country-tinged loveliness.
Not long thereafter, I picked up a Pitney compilation. So this tribute album hits me at just the right time. The brainchild of Lisa Mychols (ex-Masticators frontwoman), who modestly does not sing a track herself (she does play bass for The Waking Hours), this is a bundle of wonderful, chock full of superb performances of some incredible songs.
Before I get to my three favorite performances, I must mention the swell job Randell Kirsch and Billy Cowsill do on my aforementioned favorite Pitney tune, "It Hurts to Be in Love". In fact, my first exposure to the song was a cover version (and I'm sure many other folks heard covers of Pitney's tunes before hearing the originals) by Durocs. Kirsch and Cowsill sound positively heavenly, kissing the song with California sunshine, and picking up on the core aspect of the Pitney's original version -- love can make you so happy, but insecure as all hell. You enjoy it, yet you don't.
Now for my top three. At number one, Ferdinand scores big with their spaghetti western meets garage rock take on "Half the Laughter Twice the Tears". Vocalist Greg Franco tears into the song with gusto, while David Guerrero unleashes a variety of atmospheric guitar jangles and twangs. Number two is a fellow who actually auditioned Pitney for a record deal. In fact, this guy has recorded with seemingly half the musicians living on this planet, the one and only Al Kooper. Kooper may not be the greatest vocalist of all time, but the nooks and crannies his voice has developed over the years make it touching as hell. His take on "One Day" is heartwrenching and his one man band arrangement is splendid. Number three was recorded live to tape by Australia's Lynchpin. Their pub rock R & B simmers on an introspective take on "Take it Like a Man". Their mellow take runs counter to the urgency of the melody and the tension really elevates the emotion of the song.
Let's not ignore the ladies in doling out the praise. Pitney was a quintessential ‘60s artist, so it makes sense that the girl group revivalists It's My Party! would add their magic to "That Boy Belongs to Yesterday" which was composed by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. And Gail George has a vocal quality that is more womanly than girly (think Marti Jones/Chrissie Hynde without the sneer) on one of Pitney's own compositions, "Mr. Moon, Mr. Cupid and I".
The oddest cover is turned in by The Deviants. Mick Farren does a loopy
yobbish vocal on "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance". On the other end of the
spectrum, two vocalists who certainly can sing with the best of them come off as
well as you'd expect, so take a bow, Barry Holdship ("Every Breath I Take") and
Phil Angotti ("Backstage" -- cool song choice). And for those who love the sheer
prettiness of some of Gene's best, check out Sleeping Giant's version of "Only
Love Can Break a Heart". Other contributors include Tommy Womack, Mark Johnson,
Jeremy, sparkle * jets u.k., Chris Von Sneidern and Ron Flynt. Kudos to all
involved on shining the spotlight of one of the underrated giants of ‘60s
rock.
Mike Bennett, Chicago. Il. Writing for Fufkin.com, November
2002
PIN NUMBERS
They went to a party at the house of that bloke from Counting Crows. Their bass player also runs the label they're signed to. Ladies and gentleman, LYNCHPIN.
I hear you’ve been overseas of late
Glen: "We went over to America which was quite remarkable."
Dave: "Two weeks in July, went over for two things basically. The Gravy were launching their CD so we played at their release party in Boston, and we also went back to Los Angeles and played The International Pop Overthrow, a guitar pop festival."
G: "Yeah, two weeks of pop. I nearly wanted to neck myself at the end. We had a great time and we really did well too. I guess coming from here you just assume bands from other countries will be better than bands from your own country, and it’s a real eye opener to go over there and think that we stood up and did well. So it kinda makes you think ‘shit, we’re on the right track'.
Andy: "America was like too different trips. The east coast was just a completely different country to the west coast, just as far as the music and the way they approach the music. I don't know if it’s because the east coast is closer to Europe and they’re getting that vibe, but the west coast were very serious and very dated I thought."
Give us a brief history of Lynchpin.
G: "Andrew and I have been writing together for a few years, but we hooked up with Dave and put this together in the last 12 months."
A: "Dave’s one of those people who’s into the same music so we've bumped into him at various locations, but there was just a common thread there. It just fell into place. He’s added an edge to the band l think, he's hardened us up a bit."
D: "Street smarts."
You didn’t play on this record, did you Dave?
D: "I’ll be playing on the next one."
G: "That’s what you think."
Are there any conflicts with Dave being in the band as well as the head of the label the band are signed to?
D: "I don’t know, I have to take on almost two different personalities, sometimes when I’m writing an email it’s Pure Pop Dave writing it and sometimes it’s Dave the bass player writing it. It’s something we haven’t really had any trouble with, but basically Pure Pop wanted to put out the record and the guys are great and the record's great, but they couldn't do it live without a bass player. Basically I just started as a fill in bass guy live, but after a few months it sort of became more official."
A: "It's good from our point of view. Glen and I, because we've been friends for a long time, to have a third person there who’s got strong and objective view points. It keeps us level headed. It’s great to have a counter opinion there."
D: "There's also a couple of songs that the guys have had around for say two or three years and have played a million times and it’s like 'we're a bit over that one' and it’s like 'no, no one has heard it yet. It’s still great’. The songwriting is getting better, but it’s not like every song is better than the last one. There’s peaks and valleys but the general trend is upward. One of the things I did when I came into the band was I looked at all the songs and said “that’s a great song, that’s a great song, that’s a great song’ and it was sort of like ‘oh, OK. Is it? Because I could come in with fresh ears."
Going back to your trip to the States, I believe you went to a decent party while you were over there?
D: "At the IPO there are a lot of bands that Pure Pop distribute, and there is guy called Bryan Charles. He's a whizz bang producer, he’s got this great record out. So anyway he’s produced The Gigolo Aunts, and David Gibbs from The gigolo Aunts is staying at Adam Duritz’s house from Counting Crows. So in this backdoor way of knowing people who know people we get invited to his birthday party at his mansion in Beverley Hills. Everybody there assumed you were somebody because you were there, and we weren’t going to tell anyone different. There were heaps of faces there you recognize from movies, ads, whatever"
A: "It was everything you wanted in a Hollywood party. One thing Americans are is very polite. Especially in Hollywood, where everyone’s got a project. They don’t want to offend anyone in case they’re a producer or a friend of their next producer, so it was a good old Australian bluff the whole night."
D: "Bryan Charles told someone I was from Pure Pop Records from Australia so I had everyone coming up saying they had a music project. It was great, one guy was like a metal guy. I said ’my label’s more pop orientated’ and he goes ‘oh, I’ve got some pop stuff!’
G: "We were the last there, me and Dave and Adam ended up calling us a cab." ‘Time to go boys.’
D: "I’ll be looking for a song on the new Counting Crows album"
G: "Who Were Those Blokes?"
article from Inpress, issue 677, 5th September 2001 by: Shane O Donohue,
Music Editor
18 eleven
Acoustic pop that is smooth without being slick, this Australian duo sometimes lights up the Neil Finn indicator on my stereo, but not in any manner that is derivative. Lynchpin shares with Mr. Finn a penchant for clean melodies, intelligent lyrics and solid vocals. This is a very promising debut, with a fistful of highly compelling tracks.
Singer-guitarist Andy Kirkland writes the tunes and is augmented by drummer Glen King and various guest musicians on bass and keyboards. Kirkland is a fine vocalist with a soulful tenor voice. This is best displayed on "When She Falls". On this simple acoustic ditty, the hook is a chorus that requires Kirkland to briefly go near the top of his range. The song's melody will sound sweet to fans of Crowded House and Squeeze.
Most of the songs are full of acoustic guitars with some jangly bits occasionally thrown in. One of the top tracks on the album totally deviates from that formula. "Best Laid Plans" has a jazzy, R & B feel, augmented by Sandro Donati's appearance on trumpet. The song is comparable to the slower material of The Housemartins or early Simply Red. A couple other songs lean in this direction, and it gives Lynchpin a nice extra dimension.
The generally low key vibe of the album is smartly broken up by "Fluffy Duck Army". Yeah, I don't quite get the title either, but I like it. The relatively uptempo tune illustrates Lynchpin's primary assignment for the next album - to punch things up a bit, whether it's by being a bit more musically aggressive (for example, the Hammond organ fueled "Vital Signs" is good, but with more piss and vinegar, it could have been great) , or just sharpening the performances of their mid-tempo material. This also might be cured by stronger production. The sound here, while adequate, is still a bit thin.
When the band does hit their passion stride, as on the aforementioned "When
She Falls" or "Mirandah" it a showcase for their considerable talent. All of
these songs are copyrighted 1998, so that means that Kirkland has another three
years worth of songs in him. Based on this debut, the follow up should be highly
anticipated.
Mike Bennett, Chicago. Il. Writing for Fufkin.com Nov 2001
Excellent Australian duo out on Pure Pop Records who evoke breathless harmonies, flawless melodies and a strong spirit of the quieter moments of The Posies. A must for fans of melodic harmony laced pop! Comparisons to Crowded House are not out of place (and spot on, on half this material), especially when referring to the mature songwriting, beautiful melodies and shimmering vocal harmonies of Andy Kirkland and Glen King. Filled with soul and consistently emotional vocals, Lynchpin command attention of all fans as they craft intensely simple songs that just floor the listener, given proper attention. Very Highly Recommended!
NOT LAME RECORDS October
2001
www.notlame.com