Keith Harbottle is the one man band behind Big Life Desire and even he knows what you think of him. He sings “I don’t have a good voice, I can’t hardly sing, still I can impress, it’s not supposed to make sense” (“Not Supposed To Make Sense”). Keith has a very British theatrical sound, similar to the Bonzo Dog Band or a sober Syd Barrett. The songs are well arranged and melodic, especially the latter-era ELO-styled opener “Full Of You” with synth keyboards leading the way. Some songs are inventive and “So Inclined” is a very Alan Parsons Project flavoured mid-tempo song. However, Harbottle’s polite voice lacks any kind of range and seems custom made for a novelty record. By the mid point of this album it got very distracting, although the ballads (“After All” and “So Say I”) are easier to take. My advice is to listen yourself and cherry pick the better songs here, as I’m sure this is not everyone’s cup of tea. You may disagree here, but this album is best heard in dribs and drabs. Listen to everything here on Harbottle’s music page
Big Life Desire Site | My Space | Your Love Is (single)