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Home / Entertainment

Album review: Edge of the City - Greg Fleming and the Trains

NZ Herald
20 Sep, 2012 04:00 AM2 mins to read

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Album cover Greg Fleming and the Trains - Edge of the city. Photo / Supplied

Album cover Greg Fleming and the Trains - Edge of the city. Photo / Supplied

Like a poet or rock's refined wordsmiths (Paul Kelly, Springsteen, Townes Van Zandt), Auckland singer-songwriter Fleming leaves so much out of his lyrics that you colour in the details yourself.

It's a rare skill and on this, his first album of new material in almost 20 years, Fleming cuts to the bone on songs like Recent Hire about a broken but forgiving father betrayed by an employee and his own daughter: "We love you no matter what, you're still young, it's not too late to stop."

With the Trains providing assured country-rock (Petty-like on More Time) or exercising restraint as on the title track - an outsider's view of this city and his own life - Fleming has the musical substructure for his authentic, often world-weary observations which have an emotional home in alt.Americana but speak of this place and time.

There's a wayward brother up north lost through drugs into delusions; a mother and son parting ways with regret but necessity; a former boxer now cut man plying his trade in a brutal arena; a train journey where real and metaphorical fires burn and smoke closes in ...

Refined and poetic rock-noir where you put flesh back on damaged bones.

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Stars: 4/5
Verdict: Tough poetic stories from our urban world

- TimeOut

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Album reviews: Elina Garanca, Marie-Nicole Lemieux

21 Sep 05:30 PM
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