Ian Skelly, Cut From A Star. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Ian Skelly may have already tasted and enjoyed incredible success with The Coral but that doesn’t mean that the man ever sits on his extensive laurels and waits for the new long-awaited album by the band to take shape. If anything he has been kept busy by the release of his own album, Cut From A Star, and whilst fans of The Coral wait patiently for a new studio album, the anticipation will be made all the more worthwhile by listening to this excellent recording.

Ian Skelly may be the drummer in The Coral but as the album progresses it is impossible to believe that he has been hidden away so much as each song grabs the listener and blows away any preconceptions that they may have had.

Part psychedelic, part primal urge and utterly charming, Cut From A Star is a tremendous piece of art, not so much music delivered from one man to an audience but from one soul to another. Each song seems finely crafted and delivered with the highest regard and respect for the listener’s judgement. Not that anybody should deliver art for another person’s approval but this album frames perfectly what it means to present something with your entire heart to another.

With 11 tracks to choose from, each as terrific as the last, it is the final great album from the area of the year in what has already been an exceptional 12 months for music associated with the Liverpool region. There are a lot of stand-out tracks on the album but the main stays, the songs that just seem to resonate with the listener are Opus Dawn, the sublime Nickel And A Dime, I See You and the awesome Caterpillar.

Cut From A Star deserves to be counted in the top ten albums of the year from the Merseyside area, brimming with powerful tunes and a delight to get lost in.

Ian D. Hall