Josh Pyke - Memories and Dust

Fishy

By Sim Eckstein

Josh Pyke is yet another bearded singer/songwriter joining the proverbial queue for the title of ‘best sensitive male with a guitar’.

With the queue already stretching out of the door, snaking in and out of those barriers made out of seatbelts and into the car park, one can only hope that his queue jumping skills are up to scratch.

Memories and Dust, the Australian’s first album, is a fairly valiant attempt at such a feat. Echoing in parts early REM, the title track in particular rings with a vivacity and lightness that is uplifting, and like most of the best tracks on the album is soaked in harmonies that resemble those of the Californian country rock bands of the 70’s.

However, very few of the songs manage to make the transition from pleasant to memorable, leaving an album that is all too easy to ignore. In the end it seems, Pyke is just too polite to push his way to the front.