Norman Lamont - Roadblock

Norman Lamont (don’t, he’s probably sick of it) is a well-known singer / songwriter on the Edinburgh acoustic scene, and Roadblock is his third album, released on new local online record shop SecretCDs.co.uk. It’s a work in debt to the 60s and 70s, particularly the languid guitar and hushed vocals of Dark Side of the Moon. Fans of Leonard Cohen or Nick Cave’s Boatman’s Call era will find solace in the moody depths, and title track Roadblock, as well as one called Anywhere But Here, are reminiscent of the dark dramas of The Doors. Lamont proves himself to be an accomplished mood-setter and lyricist, with the overall effect one of quiet, rueful reflection. If all this seems a bit gloomy, there’s a bit of skanking to raise the mood on I’ll Be Back. If this sounds like your thing, Roadblock is well worth budgeting for in these times of economic crisis. I almost managed. [Euan Ferguson]