little flame

*****

 

Max Savage set aside his band “The False Idols” for a short time to record some stripped back acoustic songs with only occasional support from guitarist Lachlan Ridge on three of the eight songs. This LP “Little Flame” is the result.

This approach is brutal on songs that lack integrity or depth, as it exposes the bare bones of the shallow and the meaningless to the blinding light of public opinion. No doubt this occurred to Max Savage, for he has clearly invested time in crafting the lyrics and structure of these songs. They have lived with him, gathered tarnish, and carved their own meaning during long road trips before being dusted off and pressed him in a single studio sitting.

Armed with an acoustic guitar and a single microphone, Max is s storyteller with a style that brushes the likes of Dylan and Paul Kelly, but retains its own unique sound. A man and his acoustic can sometimes sound empty, but Max has harnessed the space woven into these songs to enhance the ambience and the story. Standout tracks for me are the opener “Caroline” and the closing track “You’ll Find Me”, both of which coincidently feature Lachlan Ridge. Max also features an uniquely South Australian song about “R M Williams Boots”.

This thoroughly enjoyable collection of musical stories is available for digital download on Bandcamp.

 

Also printed in Bside Magazine 12 March 2015

Bside