[02.03] It's not so often that I get to review Belgian CDs. Heck, I like my Belgian beer, especially with moules and frites with mayo, not to mention Tin Tin and some Belgian chocolate to follow…But music? My Little Cheap Dictaphone thankfully makes it an easy job. This CD has now been sitting on my desk for a while, and while I have snuck in more than a a few listens—my editor has been screaming at me for months for a review. Yes, I've taken my time, but I've enjoyed it. MLCD is 22-year-old Belgian Redboy, and reminds me immediately of Ed Harcourt. Just like Harcourt, Redboy is young, plays most (if not all) of the instruments and has a definite melodramatic orchestral sound. A fact driven home by the title of the album, Music Drama. But where Harcourt is decidedly English, MLCD is a raspier affair. Both draw on Bowie's melodrama, but where Harcourt is Vaudevillian, MLCD has a definite American edge. His bio mentions Flaming Lips, Tom Waits and Sparklehorse, and those comparisons have some validity. He draws heavily on blues and has a twang to his vocals, though the final product is far slicker. In fact, he sounds more American than all of the aforementioned Yanks, even employing slide guitars and Western roll-piano on "Sorry Today." But he has none of the whimsical nature of the Lips, his sound is way fatter than Waits' and the force of his songs would drive Sparklehorse off the road.

And yet his cover art and melodramatic sound evokes the red velvet curtain, theatrical sound that former Virgin Prunes frontman Gavin Friday committed with Shag Tobacco. His sound is bombastic yet fragile, sad but complicated. So in sum, MLCD is definitely a European creature, but one that has clearly absorbed lessons from the greats on both sides of the pond and distilled an oeuvre that is unique and personal. And that is perhaps the principal strength of this album. Redboy (have to say I hate that nom de plume...) has definitely pilfered from others, but he has pilfered well and he has maintained a very personal voice and amazing maturity for someone so young.

The opener "Am I Your Friend" has a punk intensity that is carried by strings (!) and makes a compelling bid for song of the year (Uh, that would be 2002, since it was released in April 2002). The rest of the album ranges from the straight-forward rock anthem "Get High" to introspective songs like "McFly's Song."

Music Drama is yet another reminder of the incredible talent that gets bypassed entirely because they don't have the right label backing or are based in some musical backwater (apparently we're the only non-Benelux site reviewing it?). MLCD is truly a great discovery and one that will definitely stay in my CD collection for a long time. I look forward to what he'll pull off next and certainly hope others discover his work soon. —Nils