LITTLE MAN

I always acknowledge the similarities between Pineapple Theif and Radio Head, but the two remained different enough to me to give each a distinctness worthy of attention; yet, with Little Man, Soord has composed a passionate album which sounds very, very much like Radiohead, and lost some of the group's originality in the process.

For the newcomer, Pineapple Thief's music is generally a combination of the melodic and etheric-- with fine examples of dynamics and a sort of bouyant beauty which shines through its melancholic moodiness. Little Man is a little different, emphasizing the dark/sad entirely, creating a mood of deeply emotional sombreness. There are few, if any, moments which will catch one's excitement; instruments are usually restrained, or playing simple riffs during loud moments. Soord's dreamy vocals often fall into the clouds of sound, and while lyrically simple carry a lot of emotional weight.

The end result, is Kid A, and while I appreciate the passion behind Little Man cannot help but be acknowledge, the song writing does not make as much of an impact. The middle of the album doesn't stustain the emotion created by the intro and finale. If one did not know the history or tragic inspiration behind these songs-- they wouldn't be nearly as interesting, which says to me that it's our psychology talking... not the music.

Still, Little Man is a worthy listen even though its not the group's best, if for the creative production and effects. For fans of the band its good enough to be essential; for others, its worth investigating if you enjoy the Radiohead sound.

Songwriting: 3 Instrumental Performances: 2 Lyrics/Vocals: 4 Style/Emotion/Replay: 4