"Pretend it's an open mic set" says the album note. Therefore we take a seat in a corner table of a sketchy pub, we wait for the lights to go down and we watch God Ribbon take the stage with just a microphone and an acoustic guitar.
Here he comes, ready to delight us with these 11 renditions of his songs (some of which have appeared in other albums, such as Cars from the 70s and Ego). Our bearded ministrel (the drawing on the cover is a pretty accurate portrait I'd say) is not a flashy player, nor a virtuoso singer, but he possesses the charisma of the great singers-songwriters, those who can build a timeless classic using just a handful of chords and their sharp lyrics.
I'd like to spend a few words on the guitar playing: despite the acoustic setting, do not expect a slow strumming of open chords all throughout the album: God Ribbon has a very punk soul, and he doesn't need distortion or a full band to show it. His strings become a percussive instrument, with a heavy picking attack that would make Malcolm Young proud even in the slower and chiller moments such as in "Feed my Disease".
The lyrics are as always deep in their simplicity, each word carefully weighted to deliver the bittersweet feelings that God Ribbon wants to share with his audience. We find aversion owards society and its strict rules, melancholy, but also an underlying will to not surrender and keep looking for something good in this world.
If you are new to God Ribbon's music, this set will give you a great introduction to his great songwriting. If you're already familiar with his songs, you will appreciate this more intimistic dimension. In any case, at the sketchy pub somewhere in England, there's a stool waiting for you near the stage. Hope you accept the invite.
