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10:
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timeless/perfect
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9 to 9.9:
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significant past 10 years
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8 to 8.9:
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significant past 5 years
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7 to 7.9:
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memorable
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6 to 6.9:
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standard playlife
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5 to 5.9:
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good for now
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4 to 4.9:
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will get a few playthroughs
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3 to 3.9:
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won't intentionally listen to this
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2 to 2.9:
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strongly avoid it
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1 to 1.9:
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no reason to ever listen to this
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0.1 to 0.9:
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rage-inducing
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0:
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no merit whatsoever.
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 David Thomas Broughton
"The Complete Guide to Insufficiency" (CD)
released in 2005
Label: Birdwar/Plug Research
http://www.myspace.com/davidthomasbroughton
If you haven’t yet heard David Thomas Broughton is the guy who recorded his debut album, The Complete Guide to Insufficiency, in the Wrangthorn Church in Leeds, England in one complete take. This alone is enough to get some people talking, and the fact David Thomas Broughton has brought a unique flavor of “freak folk” while “freak folk” is hot should keep people talking. The Complete Guide to Insufficiency expands five tracks over forty minutes, and the result is a striking folk-centered, ghostly ambient success.
The Complete Guide to Insufficiency creates a unique atmosphere that rivals the delicate beauty of Animal Collective’s lengthier acoustic movements (the un-pop tracks). Equipped with an acoustic guitar, looping pedals, a drum machine, and his achingly noticeable voice (an accent similar to Antony of Antony & the Johnsons), David Thomas Broughton makes full use of his ingredients. You can also consider the church another instrument, its reverb haunting, and it’s bells, supposedly accidental, used at the climatic end of “Unmarked Grave.”
The album begins with “Ambiguity,” and it takes its time, lead by acoustic guitar, but stands out in its unique structure, looping the guitar forwards and then backwards. Layers are carefully added, and every guitar scratch caught just adds to the precise accuracy and sincerity of the album’s homely mood. It flows into “Execution” and David Thomas Broughton soon layers different vocal melodies over top each other like he does numerous times on the disc. The use of layered vocals is a highlight every time it comes up. “Execution” closes with a rising wave of soft distortion overriding David Thomas Broughton’s eerie hum, along with a clopping, after he sings what might be a love song, “I wouldn’t take her to an execution / I wouldn’t take her to a live sex show.” These words coming from his dead serious gospel moan is stunning and right on the mark.
After the highlight “Unmarked Grave,” which comes to a close memorably with layered guitar loops, and uncanny church bells is the shorter and simpler “Walking Over You.” The repetitive and patient approach throughout the album is a strength and a weakness. Here it is a weakness, where as the other tracks benefit from every second tolerantly used, here it wanes on you. It may take too long to reach the songs whistle, which then goes for a little longer than needed, but the track doesn’t affect the album as a whole, yet at the same time, doesn’t heighten the experience either.
The album closes masterfully with “Ever Rotating Sky,” where the track once again expertly rises in layers and noise for magnificent effect. And then it’s over, forty minutes later, and you have just experienced a homogenous album, satisfying as a whole, a nice comfort in this time of iPods and iTunes. While The Complete Guide to Insufficiency is wonderful as a whole, if taken apart, there is little to stand-out, as the same techniques are used on various tracks. The question is does David Thomas Broughton have more tricks in his bag to do it again? As for now it doesn’t matter, because this album on its own is a noteworthy accomplishment.
-30-
Review written on 2006/01/20 by Mark Wohlgemuth
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