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Reviewed by Anna Loveys

Mulholland: Stop & Start Again

Reviewed by Anna Loveys

Mulholland: Stop & Start Again

A project that came to fruition from within his studio nest The Oven, ‘Stop & Start Again’ is a dreamy concoction of 11 tracks written and recorded solo by Jolyon (Jol) Mulholland, save for the appearances of Mike Hall on bass and Kate Orgias (vocals, violin) on final track I Took a Train, plus drums by Alistair Deverick on Disappear Into The Day.

Bursting with strong, well-constructed hooks and melodies, this fresh new window into Mulholland’s artistry demonstrates the multi-instrumentalist / producer’s effortless skill for writing damn good pop tunes.

On offering is a set of ridiculously tasty instrumental arrangements, with a psychedelic, retro quality to the album overall, especially tracks like Sleep Forever and Perfect Health (which features a killer chorus). What really settles this sophomore LP as a next level contender is the clever interwoven tapestry of the instrumental layers – the bleeding together of subtle synth and guitar parts, which are crafted creatively around the harmonic structures of these delicious tunes.

There are a few strikingly beautiful moments on the album where this really comes to the forefront, the title track for example. The sonic experience of the overall mix stands out as capturing the life and nature of the music. Mixed by The Lab’s Olly Harmer and Neil Baldock, and of course produced by Jol Mulholland himself, you couldn’t expect anything but dead-on.