Andrew Skeet – Finding Time – Album Review – Released July 10th

Although the name may be new to most people, you may have heard music he has worked on before. Andrew Skeet has collaborated with Neil Hannon on two Divine Comedy albums; Victory for the Comic Muse (2006) and Bang Goes the Knighthood (2010) playing keyboards and working on orchestral arrangements. He has also worked with a variety of other artists such as George Michael, Sinéad O’Connor, Suede & James Lavelle’s Unkle, so he has covered quite a bit of ground over the last few years. He also has a wide range of Television and Film work, including The Apprentice and Dispatches.

This is Skeet’s debut album and is an orchestral piece, a collection of ten songs largely built around the piano but featuring violin, cello and a variety of sampled and electronic sounds. The songs vary in length from the short Passing Phase (2.04) to the slightly more epic Killing Time (7.38) but this is not as album that allows moods to grow through long songs with heavy repetition. These have the feel of pop songs, even though they are unlikely to ever darken the charts. They say all that needs to be said in three to four minutes and disappear as quickly as they emerged. They are heavy with emotion, with an obvious mood carried through each track and often captured by their titles.

Skeet has a background with both the piano and violin and it is obvious in this work. Skeet is quoted as saying the album captures a time where he lost friends and family members close to him, and there is an intensity about some of the tracks that capture something fleeting. While it is unlikely to be an album that will grab the attention of the public, but it is creates a calm and tranquil mood on tracks such as Stop the Clock and Killing Time that is quite lovely.

Track List –

Passing Phase
Setting Out
Killing Time
Changing Lines
Pursuing the Horizon
Reflect
Taking Off
Stop the Clock
The Unforgiving Minute
Finding Time