Album Review: Osbourne Heights by Joe Sullivan

Joe Sullivan was formerly in the fantastic London based acoustic ska band Bandit The Panther. Sadly Bandit split up almost two years ago but last December he released a solo EP named Osbourne Heights. I really liked Bandit The Panther so was looking forward to hearing what Joe would do as a solo act.

First up is Congratulations On Not Being An Idiot. I really wanted to like this song purely on the title and I'm pleased to say that I did. Immediately I was attracted to the song because of the rawness of the recording. Music doesn't always need to be perfectly produced, sometimes there is a lot more of a real feel to music when it's raw. The track is a fast paced number that really does remind me of Bandit The Panther - there is even a little brass towards the end of the song which was a welcome surprise. Strong opening to the EP. Up next is the song Replacement Girl. Starting out with duelling guitars, Joe sings softly about getting over a break up of a relationship by realising that, as the chorus states, "It's Okay To Be Okay." It's the guitars that really standout during the song, bouncing along with some great melodies. A fun song. The penultimate song on Osbourne Heights is named Eirika. This song starts out with a some soft guitar playing before Joe starts singing with a lot of sadness and plenty of emotion in his voice. The inclusion of a thick bass line and then some distorted electric guitar keeps the song building throughout its duration. As the seconds go by the song just sounds bigger and bigger. Lastly we have I'm Not The Only One. The track begins with some extremely self-depreciating lyrics. Musically this is probably the simplest of the three tracks relying much more on lyrics than music to entertain the listener. Another very strong song.

Joe Sullivan continues pretty much where previous project, Bandit The Panther, finished off. He's a man who seems very jaded with the world and portrays those feelings excellently through the medium of music. I'm glad that he's continuing with music as he's a big talent that is severely overlooked. He shouldn't be. Don't overlook him.

Stream and download Osbourne Heights here: https://happinesswerewolf.bandcamp.com/album/osborne-heights

Like Joe Sullivan here: https://www.facebook.com/joesullivanmusic/