Thorn

Rip It Up, Issue 202, 1 June 1994, Page 18

Thorn

For singer-guitarist-songwriter Andrew Thorne, completing his debut self-titled album has been the proverbial beast of burden. The recording of Thorn was completed even before a record company had been found to release the album, a splendid example of self-deter-mination considering the fact Andrew plays all the instruments on the record. In his own words, Thorn "is a slow grower." To these ears it combines the melodic wash of the Byrds and the Beatles with Andrew’s wry personal observations. He deftly covers that period

of uncertainty that everyone seems to go through in their early twenties. “The lyrics are all quite ‘Oh my god’ kind of lyrics about wondering where you’re going to go, what you’re going to do with your life. That was the vibe with a lot of the songs." Over the past 12 months bassist Paul Sheridan-Banks and drummer Gareth Hart have been recruited and a load taken off Andrew’s shoulders. The task of song writing is now shared equally and he can finally shift out of the studio. Although wisely opting not to undertake a nationwide tour, "it seems like a big black hole to throw money into", Thorn will play several showcase gigs in Auckland to promote the album. Keep your ears peeled.

JOHN RUSSELL

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