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4 out of 10
There never seems to be a shortage of inoffensive male singer-songwriters, but their careers can be short lived, just look at the man who co-wrote two of the songs on Chris Townsend's debut LP: David Sneddon, 'Fame Academy' winner who now makes a living writing songs for other people and playing in indie bands around Scotland. Songwriting might be where the money is but it's hardly the same as performing to millions of people on the telly, is it? And there's not a great deal on 'Copenhagen' to suggest that Chris Townsend won't face a similar fate. I mean, even Richard Ashcroft who had the The Verve's popular and critical acclaim to call upon (And who Townsend occasionally sounds a bit like) had to go back to his old band after his solo career became a stadium acoustic bore.
Townsend is being pitched at Coldplay and U2 loving Radio 2 listeners (He's already supported The Feeling, which helps), even though his light country rock ('Come And Go') has more in common with Embrace and songs like 'All You Can Say' sound like ballads by the reformed Take That. With 'Back Again (So Damn Smart)' and the title track 'Copenhagen' though, Snow Patrol could have a valid legal case as it bears an uncanny similarity to their singles 'You're All That I Have' and 'Chasing Cars'.
The 23-year-old clearly has mass appeal and glimpses of massive ambition on the Beatlesy pair 'Direction' and 'For The Best', and the extremely radio friendly 'Hardest Summer', but he looks set to be added to list which includes Sneddon, David Gray, Newton Faulkner and countless others who had their moment and are now largely forgotten.
Listen: www.myspace.com/christownsendmusic
Tracklist:
1. Come And Go
2. Radio
3. All You Can Say
4. Back Again (So Damn Smart)
5. Copenhagen
6. Direction
7. Hardest Summer
8. Stay Positive
9. United
10. For The Best
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