Andy Anderson 'Andersongs' CD review

For many years I've been reviewing CDs for NZ Musician Magazine. Recently I was asked to review a CD under my own aegis. Here be the results:

Andy Anderson's latest album 'Andersongs' kicks off with an exuberant whoop of a song called Hey I'm Alive, which sets the tone both musically and lyrically. It's a real celebration of life, full of self-deprecating humour (“An ageing wino hippy, quite a few brain cells short”), but with a message of rangimarie and kotahitanga (“Still pushing that peace/love trip. Just because we got stoned and missed it, doesn't mean that the plan was wrong.”) That first song has a great, jammy rock feel. The next one up, Spirit of Parihaka, leans into reggae territory, with a cruisy backbeat and swooning slide guitar. But the lyrical theme of living peacefully with one another is there again (“May the healing of the White Feather pass from hand to hand.”) The whole album is permeated with Andy's mellow, 'let's all be cool to each other' persona.

With Hayden Lauridsen on drums and Adrian Fou on bass, the rhythm section is tight and swinging. Jeff Carr lets rip with some fiery yet tasteful guitar solos. Not an easy feat! Backed by this team, the cream of Palmy rock musicians, Andy plays guitar and harmonica, and his singing takes flight, his voice loaded with life experience.

The guitar playing of Bruce 'Phantom' Robinson is shot through the album like a golden thread. Andy pays tribute to him on All Rise (Phantom's Song). Sadly, Phantom did not live to see the album completed, but his playing lives on in 'Andersongs', as the rest of the band weave their music around his contributions.

Anderson touches on other topics, such as politics (Politricks), the Pike River Mine, and even ends with a heartfelt tribute to his mother. It's a very personal album that was recorded and mixed with real empathy by Nigel Mauchline at Palmerston North's iconic recording/rehearsal/performance venue The Stomach. The sound is polished and professional, yet the album still feels intimate and confessional.

From acoustic ballads to country to swaggering rock, Dr John-style scat to Marley-style reggae, Anderson and his merry crew lead you on a journey through Andy's memories, and leave you with his hopes for the future. Let's hope that Andy surprises us, and maybe himself, with another album soon! As the man himself says: “Outlived my hair, my brain and teeth... If music's the last part of the brain to leave, I'll keep on singing till I'm through”.