Now here’s an album that’s just like Marmite, there’s either love or hate involved – but not ambivalence. It's said new is easy, different is difficult; with ‘Help The Overdog’, songwriter Flake Brown (aka Tony Ramsay) proves he can do different. You might also throw in bizarre, idiosyncratic and eccentric to describe his style. For those desperately needing comparisons you may choose Jake Thackray, Nick Drake or Robin Williamson. But why would you do that? Unique is an often misapplied word, not here - this album (on Autumn Ferment Records) is inimitable.

Voice, lyrics or playing style – none of them let you rest. They demand engagement and attention. This is not background music. Some may find the effort too much. That’s sad because you need to persevere with Flake’s work but those that do, and lock in to his approach, will love it. 

Flake’s voice, which he uses like an instrument, swoops between high-range eccentric ranting and ominous booming resonance. Often tinged with a psychopathic edge, each vocal acrobatic is carefully calculated to complement both subject and mood. His lyrics range from words crafted with folds of darkness that wrap his vocal imagery with unsettling strangeness and foreboding, to stark observations that take you on a trip through the seamier side of his idiosyncratic black humour. Sex, love, violence, dreams, psychosis and religion – all life is here.

Among the finest of the weird and wonderful offerings are the mournful ‘The Golden Bridge’ which with ‘February’s Bones’ and ‘Cool is the Snow’ are the most accessible songs. ‘The Weathercatcher’ and ‘Beneath the Spider’ with their great lyrics will doubtless inspire Incredible String Band comparisons. The vocal on ‘Lady Bracknell’s Eyes’ is creepy, while ‘Bucketful of Fools’ and ‘The Pilgrim Song’ make you laugh out loud.

It’s hard to get the most out of ‘Help The Overdog’ but dig away there’s gold in there – you just need to be in the right mood. And next time include the lyrics, it would be fun to ponder over the words.

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