If Limeygit ever yearns for things back in Britain, I don't think he counts UK commercial radio in the same bracket as cricket, warm beer or red buses (You are damn right, although US commercial radio sucks even worse, believe it or not - Ed). I very rarely tune in to the homogenous offerings of the FM stations simply because an unpleasant blend of shopping mall livestock (Westlife), and guys with guitars that look good (BB Mak) assault your ears along with the rest of the music industry's faceless fodder.
It's precisely because of this culture that the term 'successful singer songwriter' has become as obsolete as the Sinclair C5 one man car. So it's refreshing to hear a talented example of this long forgotten genre every once in a while and as one of the first artists on the Chicago Kid label owned by former Santana and Styx man John Ryan, there are high hopes for Wil Seabrook. Discovered when a CD he recorded as a high school project came Ryan's way, this self titled debut reveals Wil's ability to fuse well-structured melodies with thoughtful lyric themes, while adding something a little different to the modern pop-rock scene.
I first heard Wil perform acoustically on a UK AM radio talk show and the songs stood up excellently to that environment,  so at first I was quite surprised to discover that his trusty acoustic guitar only provides the backbone for these songs. Initially it appears that the melodies don't have enough space to breathe amongst samples, effects, and over-embellished production, but as the melodies work their magic, the depth and textures the production adds to the overall sound can be appreciated.
It seems Wil does not want to be known as just another acoustic singer songwriter, and his music is edgy enough to make that clear. His inspired cover of The Temptation's 'My Girl' is a case in point. Avoiding the temptation of recording a note for note reworking of such a classic, Seabrook's unusual backing vocals and modern rhythms add a vitality and freshness to the song without sacrificing the charm of the original.
Apart from a couple of co-writes, the rest of the material is penned solely by Seabrook and it's testament to his skills that the cover is by no means the highlight. The mid tempo strains of 'You Do What You Have To' are addictive and the song benefits from a balance between the acoustic base of the song and the more modern sounds added to it. Likewise the impassioned plea of 'Special', which impresses with a refreshing keyboard and piano combination.
Another couple of radio ready tracks jump out in the shape of the soulful, laid back and catchy 'Count Me In' and the rocky 'Lonely Days' - if these hooks were fish you certainly wouldn't throw them back for being tiddlers.
According to his press bio, Seabrook's intention was to record music with a voice - and with his confessional writing and lyrical style, he certainly cannot be accused of music that doesn't say anything. On 'Deny', Wil tackles race relations, but this is one of a handful of songs that don't quite meet the standards of the rest of the album, and towards the end of the record, songs like 'So Much', despite it's nice intro, don't measure up to the groovy vibe of opener 'Bocelli' or the melody of 'Best Part'.
It's hard to be too critical though, as this is a more than decent first effort and in a music industry where quality singer songwriters struggle to reach the surface it's well worth checking out. Put it this way, it's a better alternative to BB Mak.

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