I Blame The Producers

The Stillest Hour
Carl Riseley
Mercury/Universal, 2009
2 stars

For me, watching a naïve, awkward young musician work his or her way through the various rounds of Australian Idol actually diminishes any star status they might have once they make it to the top. You get to see them pushed and prodded, beaten-down, styled and polished to a high-gloss sheen – by the time they make it to the steps of the Sydney Opera House they barely resemble the ‘real person’ they once were. Carl Riseley is a good example of this - during the show the producers did all but paint Michael Buble’s face over his own. Given, the guy is a decent singer and handy with a horn, but he’s no ladies man, so when on The Stillest Hour he channels Norah Jones and asks the listener to “come away with me in the night” he has about as much panache as a cabin supervisor on some late-night V-line service. That said, musically, this is pleasant enough, so if acoustic jazz-pop is your thing you could probably do worse. But for those expecting an Aussie answer to Harry Connick Jr. it’ll be like picking up a Miles Davis album at your local record store, getting it home and finding a Kenny G CD inside. Yes, your mum is going to love it.

Artwork: D
Predictable. "Someone, take Carl and his trumpet down to the train station and take some photos". The guy just looks lost.

Published in mX, Thursday April 30, 2009.