Two significant changes in the music of Alec Bowman since the release of his debut album in 2020. The surname is extended to reflect his marital union with fellow artist Josienne Clarke and the sound has accrued a makeover courtesy of a trip down to Lukas Drinkwater's Polyphonic Recording studio in Stroud. These two changes are intrinsically linked by Josienne Clarke taking an apparent more active role alongside adding some fine touches of backing vocal and brass to a sound a little fuller than what first introduced his music. Still piercing the sound waves alongside these subtle moves is the trademark style of an artist sharp with words, upfront on delivery and highly articulate in deep thought. A PLACE LIKE HOME is a less in stature than its predecessor in terms of length, but it has the potential to prove a significant link between an artist starting point and where their music eventually ends up.
Mr. Alec Bowman_Clarke, to formalise things, only politely requests 15 minutes of your valuable time via 5 songs in this offering, but that is sufficient to plant the seeds of intuitive prose and lyrics to ponder. Don't expect to fully tune in on first play. Like many artists toying with words, there is much to decipher. Some listeners may choose to hop off on first listen due to its left field tendencies, though the softer more comforting vibes associated with this release enable a smooth passage. There is also a perception that this is the type of music that resonates with fellow creatives. Leonard Cohen may have sold shed loads of records, but I stand by the assertion that his music is best understood by the artistic community.
One capability of the work of Bowman_Clarke is to inject a hypnotic rhythmic thread into the songs. This starts off with the stand out track from the record 'Deleted Scenes', his strongest melody to date, and remains in tact throughout. You do get hooked in and an opportunity to savour what is being presented. That is probably all A PLACE LIKE HOME desires. A space and a willing ear. Lend it to the two twin lugholes that nature has given you and the music of Mr. Alec Bowman_Clarke will kindly oblige with something deep, meaningful and worthwhile.
