Review: Philip Parfitt "I'm Not The Man I Used To be"

Phlip Parfitt: I'm Not The Man I Used To Be

Sunday morning. That’s how this record smells. Like a placid winter Sunday morning after a quiet Saturday evening watching the stars and drinking your best wine near the fireplace.

When an artist makes a comeback after a long time of retirement several questions come up. Is it just for the money? Is he trying to blend into the new trends so he can sound as another new band? Is it going to be a “revival” record built upon the sound he created years ago, but sounding flat and outdated? Well, in this case, all the answers to those questions sum up in one single monosyllabic word: No. Philip Parfitt is back in business with a fresh sounding recording worth all the time you can spend listening to it. 

Don’t be fooled by the cover picture, showing a foggy, rainy country day. This record is full of freshness and has its own light. From the moment the first song (“Big Sister”, a big, big song) comes out of your speakers you can feel the vibe of an artist who has grown musically, becoming a more mature incarnation of himself, without giving up on his younger days. All the usual elements you can expect from Mr. Parfitt are exposed: the cinematic vibe, his unique voice narrating beautiful stories, the dreamy landscapes… except this time he makes a smart, a very smart move. Instead of the fully electric feedback fuelled background he used to employ on his previous works, he now uses the acoustic guitar to create a bunch of really good songs, adding some beautiful arrangements provided by violins, sparse percussion, several dissonant sounds and some beautiful vocals courtesy of his daughter Candy. Sometimes it sounds as if Nico’s “Marble Index” was recorded by Lou Reed on vocals, John Cale on the instruments and the beautiful Nico on production, other times sounds like Nick Drake playing with Syd Barret, and, all of the time, sounds like it’s meant to sound. Like a Philip Parfitt who’s not the man he used to be, but still has his unique voice and the talent to write remarkable songs. And this record has a large amount of them. The lengthy “Strange Week” is just amazing, “Winter is Going To Come” is beautifully crafted and the background vocals are perfect, the fully violin arranged “I Was A Ghost” is haunting and “Lines Written” is so full of dissonance you can’t get enough of it. I bet you, if someone played you an “invisible playlist” including any song on this record you would immediately recognize who’s behind: Philip Parfitt, a man who has aged so well he hasn’t lost any of his talent.

Did I say this record smells like Sunday morning? Then I’ll have to add it smells like wisdom, the kind of wisdom who only a few can achieve. Make sure you preorder this album if you want to be a wiser person. It’s worth your money and your time.

Photo by Franck Aulnette

The record is coming out on the 1st of April 2014 and will be published by Milltone Head Recordings (MHR001)

Now go over to Philip's Bandcamp page and preorder the album.

Then click here to read an interview with the man himself.