Composed with quiet confidence and beautifully restrained dynamics, the new single is a touching piece of t-shirt weather introspection.
Photo: Inigo Blake | Words: Lloyd Bolton
Shuffling into view on a picked electric guitar and clicking percussion line, Oscar Browne's 'Cut Me Off' blossoms into life with gentle confidence and a charmingly understated quality. A founding member of Broadside Hacks, the folk revivalists defined by restraint and improvisation, it is no surprise that Browne displays such command of dynamics in this solo work.
The song as a whole is more comparable to relatively contemporary songwriters like Neil Young and Bill Callahan. There is an intimate honesty to Browne's introspections, culminating in the frustrated refrain, "You don't have to cut me off." The modern expression brings the music into the present, complimented by an attention to traditionalist, acoustic arrangements in vogue among British alternative acts. The strings that blossom out of the first verse, for example, recall the Nick Drake influence on fellow Broadside Hack Naima Bock.
With its easy rolling guitar line and loafing rhythm, 'Cut Me Off' feels suited to t-shirt weather, contrasting the inclement emotions and frustrations written into the lyrics. It is an endearing, open-hearted excursion from Browne's more traditional work with Broadside Hacks and reaffirms the authority of his original material. Though less texturally experimental than debut single 'Never Quite Right', released around this time last year, it is nonetheless quietly masterful. Browne never insists on the points he is making, musical or lyrical, but his composition means we nonetheless feel them for all their emotional resonance.
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