November 23, 2000

London Charing Cross Borderline

Mundy produces music capable of seeping through pores and knocking on the front door of your soul...

They're a strange breed, Mundy fans. Suits mingle with indie kids, middle age chip-shop owners rub shoulders with new age hippies. There's also a gentleman wearing a Doctor Who scarf and Musketeer hat. But in the middle of all this, an Irish songwriter emits evocative acoustic melodies while catering for the needs of every single one of them.

Maybe it's also for the benefit of the two bands in support tonight that the crowd have materialised. The indie kids, undoubtedly, are here for California's Birthday. While it's the easy way out to bestow the tag of
'Buckley protige', very few warrant it. Nevertheless, singer Jacob delivers that raw vocal of poignant, soaring fervidness,
songs like 'Polyamory' shifting abruptly from tentative, delicate keyboards to an overwrought mass of electric guitar like the most volatile of relationships.

The chip shop owners may look toward Big Sur, who fill the distant outpost of commercial guitar band without too much trouble. 'Rain Down' encompasses substantial drum'n'guitar material, but lacks the substance of 'Restless', with it's sharp chorus and trustworthy keyboard emissions. 'Lonely When I'm Down' remains a pur-dy song, if only for the toe-tapping and head jangling factor - the response to which can be summed up by singer Daniel: "Thanks a lot, you're being very reciprocal". Maybe another time.

But the Musketeer, he's here for Mundy. The simple fact of the matter is that Mundy does plaintive, emotive folk/pop with a hint of blues, is one of the founding member of the New Acoustic Movement (though he might not even know it himself) and produces music capable of seeping through pores and knocking on the front door of your soul. 'July' is a memory evoking tribute to the days of summer, "July, please try your best to stay" he urges, speaking for us all. 'Lynch Pin', tonight poignantly dedicated to Irish broadcaster Uaneen Fitzsimons, is soulful harmonica mixed with fresh melodies, building up to pure, raw emotion. And 'To You I Bestow' - "My lucky song, the song that buys all my clothes" - makes you realise that Mundy, if not the most famous of musicians, has worked his way into your conscience while still unjustifiably remaining a well kept secret.

But maybe he's just planning a silent attack. The Musketeer would be proud.
Alicia Brodersen

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