Cargo Records

Cortinaland

The songs are kind of folky, guitar led tunes and a deliberate return to the sound of some of his older records.

According to Darren himself, "having spent a few records dealing mostly with synths and drum machines it was good to come back to guitars and drums afresh". And the result is perfectly-twisted pop which leaves the listener begging for more. There's something about Darren Hayman's songs that make them seem homely, sincere and relevant The reason could be that he has the perfect recipe for composing pop, added to the fact that his combination of tender irony and everyday absurd romanticism just hits the spot. "She never really was a dirty slut" he says in "Crissy M", the third track of the fabulous "Cortinaland" EP, and the hilarity of it strikes as you realize that 'she' is Crissy Moran, a well-known porno actress. Without realising, Mr Hayman has been giving our some clues about "Table for One" a new LP that has been in the making since January 2004 and will see the light of day soonish. In the meantime, "Cortinaland" is a good header for his return to the roost. Summarising, guitars, pianos and ukeleles point toward Hayman's earlier work, but there is also the added value of his present vision. A real pleasure indeed.