‘ Livin’ ina Aucklan ’ but primarily recorded (by Ross McDermott at Audiosuite) in Paraparaumu. And just the sort of thing you could imagine playing on Radio NZ on a lazy Sunday afternoon – easy to listen to, determinedly local sounding, poetic and well-produced. Earl of Seacliff’s Lonely Hearts Club Band consists of a variety of creative folk – with this album’s concept and words created by poet/writer/publisher Michael O’Leary. There are several different (and talented) vocalists on the album, but rather than using multiple voices on a track, there is only one primary singer per song. Since the album is all about exploring different corners of Auckland it makes sense – each song feels like its own little standalone pocket, with a different feel and sound from what came before. There’s a folk element underpinning each, some going to greater extremes than others. Morningside Railway Station is much more country, with Al Witham’s music and vocals providing a nice swagger and worthy riffing on the poem/lyrics that the liner notes provide. Meg Prasad’s vocals have some gorgeous rich jazz tones, while Sir Jon Trimmer’s spoken word conclusion to the record (Auckland Revisited) with the piano accompaniment of Gilbert Haisman pins together the poetic aspect of the album’s inception in a satisfying way. Occasionally the translation from poetry to lyric feels stilted, but for the most part, the words and music blend together neatly.