 | | David Potts - Coming Up For Air |
While this was no acrimonious split like that other post-epoch-shaking band, The Seahorses, Hooky had left him high and dry, drifting on the crest of global hits, million-selling albums and Top Of The Pops appearances. Potts used the opportunity to set sail himself, wandering like Odysseus and finding such adventures as auditioning for Oasis, fronting RAM and helping out as Beats For Beginners’ bass player, before finally deciding that the solo path was for him. Coming Up For Air is the chronicle of that odyssey. As a result, it's more a collection of stories than a coherent album. There’s old Pottsy greats, like the meandering psych-pop of My Favourite Onion and the toe-tapping shuffle of Kite, and newer gems, most significantly the nod-and-a-wink celebrity baiter, I’m The Greatest. There’s even room for an appearance from his former captain, adding that familiar bass of his to the upbeat Britpopper, Roll Up! This being Potts, the two main points of reference are his two main loves, the Beatles and mod culture, yet as much as they wash over his tunes, they are more like the gentle lap of the sea across the sands than great crashing tsunamis eroding his vision. Coming Up For Air, then, is a solid return on seven years of musical seafaring, a bountiful cargo to prove he can make it alone. It does leave a couple of questions, though; where might those inspirational winds take him next and how long before the next collection finds port? Be assured, only he knows that… |
