So I love the new Neil Halstead album “Oh! Mighty Engine” and have even put it on my best of 2008 post over on Slowcoustic.com. The album just has it all, it isn’t over produced, it is real and it simply is a cohesive piece of amazing singer-songwriter folk. Whether you started listening while he was integral to what was Slowdive or even Mojave 3 or just since he has recorded under his own name – it has been good all along, but has moved to great in the last couple of releases.
I very much enjoyed his 2002 album “Sleeping on Roads”, but really absorbed 2008’s “Oh! Mighty Engine” into my listening life. Not just for the shameless praise of Halstead is this post. I, considering myself a music connoisseur, only recently discovered the MySpace Transmissions EP (if that is what they are) and you must get it as well.
If you are a fan, it is a must, if you are new to Halstead, it is definitely a great start. Highlights abound on the recordings (and interviews as well), but it is the moments like where he “forgets” the name of the song he is about to play and almost stops to try and remember (the first 10 seconds of “Two Stones in My Pocket” from Sleeping on Roads, included below). So, now what do you do? Head over to the MySpace Transmissions page and download the free 6 track live performance EP by clicking the below:
Well there you go, Halstead for the holidays.
Visit Neil on his website or his MySpace page.
~Smansmith
p.s. Speaking of “Halstead for the holidays” – make sure to look into his contribution to “This Warm December – Vol. 1″ from Brushfire Records.
This man can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned. Another splinter group from Mojave 3 are ‘The loose salute’ (A nod towards the genius of Mike Nesmiths country stuff), a bit like a country ish beach boys.
As for the Myspace sessions, Check out the Bon Iver one too, nice.
Agree with Martin, Neil’s got it! my only complaint is sighning to Jack’s label. Not a fan of it. I would hate to see Neil get labeled as such.