Zak Sally's Fear of Song - first listen

Zak's album is now available to buy via his website http://lamano21.com/

Also on the site is a quite brilliant description of the record, written by the man himself. The album is completely handmade, signed and numbered and will be posted out by Zak..the whole thing is a one man project. He instructs anyone wanting to review the record to buy the $7 download as "i'm probably broker than you are". So I did that, with the intention of ordering the record too (unless I completely hated it, which of course I don't)and I've now done that.

I'll write a proper review of this when I get the physical version, when someone has put so much effort into the whole thing, it seems a shame to review a $7 download. Anyway, this isn't the sort of record that you can really gives marks out of ten to, that would defeat the whole concept.

'Fear of Song' is a quite marvellous thing. Anyone who loved the part played in Low will want to hear this. It is a set of spontaneous, honest, big-hearted pieces of music. Not polished, not lush, not pretty but raw and true. I was expected a louder more aggressive record but am pleased at the mix of fiery, feedback drenched rockers and acoustic laments.

Buy this. It is possibly the least cynical and least calculated release of the year. One man in a room opening his heart and making some music from nothing. Great stuff.