The Moving Sidewalk

EDITORIAL REVIEWS
Alan Hampton is someone with a lot of talent, and this Christmas will be a little merrier with ol Al around. His debut album, made with the help of some fine New York musicians, The Moving Sidewalk, showcases Hampton s array of skills. I m definitely willing to call Hampton a standout for the 2010 music scene, and easily one of the best newcomers.
Hampton uses acoustic guitar to map out his lush melodies, whether through rhythmic strums or fingerpicking. Once the basics have been laid down, gentle strings, a bass, or synths come in to fill up the songs; but the production is excellent in handling the addition of instruments. The strings and such are placed subtly so as not to swell up the songs and bloat them. They provide texture and sweetness to Hampton s melodies, but command very little space. Ultimately, this is about what Hampton can do with his voice and a guitar. His ascending melodies have some hook to them, without which this album would flounder in mediocrity--the power of the frontman strikes again.
The early highlight is Change Your Mind , whose start/stop strum pattern gets the song a nice tension before releasing into a rhythmic chorus. The texture adds nicely to the atmosphere as it ripples between strums. Oh My God is a gem, with a fine fingerpicked guitar and sweet atmosphere surrounding a terrific Hampton melody. There s the Side is a tension-based song that still carries the aesthetic of a blooming spring, thus the contrast makes for a pleasant listen. There are a couple of songs that lag, like the jazzy Kaleidoscope and the lazy Undercover . Other than that, Hampton is sharp and delivers on the other eight tracks.
Hampton has a very mature sound, which is impressive for a debut album. His sophisticated approach is appreciated when 2010 has been the year I ve been berated with warped electronic music and noise-punk. I ll happily take Hampton s sophistication. He s classically trained and it shows in his music. And honestly, this would only be a mediocre album if it weren t for the well-placed atmosphere, because, let s face it, the singer/songwriter acoustic guitar dynamic is played out. But he takes it to a good level with the inclusion of soft strings and synth. As Hampton moves forward, it d be nice to see him craft a darker sound, as opposed to the very uplifting feel of The Moving Sidwalk. If you show me some Hampton with darkness to it, I ll listen. In the meantime, enjoy this album for what it is, a really nice work from a man who amounts to more than his discography would suggest.

Number of Discs: 1

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