Jim Muir Slideshow contd By Michelle Dee

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The last guitar chords that appear from nowhere drive the point home at the end of Whatever Love Means. The feathery drums on Effortless and the use of what I can only describe as a stylo-phone sound make listening to Jim Muir a truly rewarding experience both musically and emotionally. There is one other track that stands out from the other four, and that is the strange brief burst of Angels Guards You.

A piece bereft of any real vocals more of a drift into a sampling haze, reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine. When I asked Jim about this track he informed me that he had recently fallen for the seminal Loveless album, that, would explain the sudden shift in tone.

The reverse sampling techniques are very different from the minimalism of some of the other tracks. It is a pity that it is only a short experimental track but it is no less justifiable. It is clear that Jim is an immensely talented writer capturing a mood so completely that you are immersed in his melancholic narrative. The Slideshow have without a doubt produced an absolute gem in Tomorrows World Today.

To be released on Bowmans Capsule Records by way of Roughtrade in July. Meanwhile in between hanging out at B-list parties in London and tasting the jet set life of rock 'n' roll, doing impromptu gigs in Alicante with the Spanish locals.

They are sure to be passing through Hull again soon, last time they were here they supported another no less heartfelt group, Mystery Jets at the Adelphi. Tonight however they were booked to do a live session for radio and thoroughly enjoying the glamour and splendour that is the new BBC building, from where Raw Talent is broadcast. Tonight they showcase four songs live on air, three from the first EP, the one I still do not have a copy of, and After the Fireworks, which thankfully I do.

Comparisons can and probably will be made with bands like Athlete and Elbow but really The Jim Muir Slideshow occupy a space all of it's own. During the echoic keyboard ringing out on the track, You'll know I'm right, hues of orange and yellow merge together knowingly in the corner of your minds eye. The simplicity of the finale, a lullaby, called stay safe tonight is utterly breathtaking and leaves the listener almost hypnotised by the painstakingly honest sentiment. Sitting a few metres from these musicians, you can't help but be moved by the spell binding sounds that they create.

All four are well aware of what works in a good song. When it doesn't work it is discarded, without a thought for normal conventions. The result of this brave approach to creating music is a set of bare stripped away mood enhancing songs that breeds inspiration and spur you on to continue. Because you never know...

This collection of songs is like a comforting musical shoulder that's there for the worst of times as well as the good. A life affirming, life changing experience, I just wish those who have passed away could have shared this with me.

Check the thisisUll.com Gallery Photographs courtsey and Copyright ©  Darren Rogers 2005

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