Demos

Chris Hornsby - 24/06

Benjamin Short 15/01/2006

Rating: 3/5

From the upbeat, positive welcome of 'Come On, Call Me Back', to the melancholic, dejected farewell of 'Successful Manoeuvrings', '24/06' is very nearly a timeless record. Yet it is also so honest and human that its faults are too apparent to ignore. These demos, recorded live in the studio, are blueprints, mere basic sketches for a much more sincere, worthy set of tunes. Chris Hornsby's shallow vocals do no justice to his witty, visionary lyrics, and his abilities as a guitarist betray the true quality of his songwriting. If he could better harvest his own talents as a multi-instrumentalist, or seek out backing musicians who share his underexploited talent, there is a soulful acoustic excellence waiting to be discovered in these five simple songs.