on the fine art of jumping ships and parting company

horsemouth is listening to musicians of bremen's debut album on shuffle on his (laughingly called) hi-fi . you can listen to and download these tracks - some of them are for download for free - at https://musiciansofbremen.bandcamp.com/.

it all sounds pretty good to him - the songs stand up (mostly) and none of the playing makes him wince. there's the odd level he'd fiddle with here or there (but he knows enough to know that people don't consciously register that stuff). it showcases john smith's singing and songwriting most effectively (which was its main aim) and the ukelele is a surprisingly effective instrument - these tracks are available on the sorrows of tomorrow and all my dreams EPs  on bandcamp (these are possibly the standout tracks). to download them you'll have to pay, though you can listen to them for free.

the cover versions (mostly collected on what a wonderful world) are (other than the werewolf and what a wonderful world itself) nicely made but somewhat inessential - the werewolf, father death blues, a la luna yo me voy having a horsemouth lead vocal don't really fit (if horsemouth's vocals had been kept for backing vocals on other songs more they might have worked better) , silver raven, blue crystal fire, would work to leaven the record but to leaven it would be to detract from its essential focus. I'm sad and I'm lonely works well (possibly the third standout track of the covers). 


horsemouth has learnt much from doing the project - he has (for instance) learnt that the werewolf works but father death blues doesn't, that you can't really have both silver raven and blue crystal fire (the arrangements are too similar), he's pleased with his lyric writing on the co-written all my dreams, his guitars are an essential part of the current arrangement on the golden one, sorrows of tomorrow and gently johnny. he's found gigs and he's played gigs (sometimes with very little warning, sometimes under difficult circumstances.

whether musicians of bremen reconvene at easter or not the musician of bremen can go forward - he has nothing to fear but fear itself.