Theo Verney — One Small Piece (July 7, 2017) N / Score: 8

Theo Verney — One Small Piece (July 7, 2017)

Theo Verney — One Small Piece •¬•      A fitting introduction. Theo Verney typifies the one~man~band. Strap an electric guitar to Dick Van Dyke’s back, remove him from Mary Poppins fake London, and drop him into a home studio in Brighton. When I chat with Theo over Skype, he sits in the centre of drum kits~on~drum kits, guitars~on~guitars, and looks more at ease than a penguin on Prozac. This ease is translated into his live show, except now the penguin is on your dashboard, head rocking. At Liverpool Psych Fest, Theo absorbed every last inch of energy in the Blade Factory that I choked on my tongue. He smashed pysch up and chewed it out, with a giant, brimming smile on his face. “After that show I was mentally and physically on another planet.” So were the rest of us.                       Location: Brighton, UK
Style: Psychedelic Rock, Garage Rock
Album release: July 7th, 2017
Record Label: Cannibal Hymns / Verney Recordings ‎
Duration:     39:18
Tracks:
1. Running Backwards     5:58
2. Stand In     3:52
3. Mind Fire     3:12
4. Enter The Daylight     3:18
5. Letter Down     5:03
6. Cotton And White     4:06
7. Driven East     3:57
8. Stranded     3:52
Personnel/Credits:
•¬•      Written, Produced and Mixed by Theo Verney for Verney Recordings
•¬•      Recorded at Church Road Recording Company & Casa Celano
•¬•      All drums performed by John Davies
•¬•      All bass performed by Joseph Stevens
•¬•      Piano on Running Backwards and Driven East by Thomas Charles Beecham
•¬•      Keys on Enter The Daylight and Stranded by Benjamin James
•¬•      Cello on Stand In, Enter The Daylight, Cotton And White and Driven East by Sewek Gasiorek
•¬•      All other instruments by Theo Verney
•¬•      Mastered by Mike Kalajian
•¬•      Artwork by Euan Roberts
•¬•      Design by Zoë King
℗ & © 2017 Theo Verney under exclusive licence to Cannibal Hymns Ltd.                 Review
Tom Churchill
•¬•      One Small Piece is a true testament to a fantastic songwriting pedigree. Verney travels through music’s history, ticking off all the big names ~ comparisons are there and noticeable but never once obvious. Instead, what Verney does is twist opposing artists into each other, adding his own unique voice and slightly juxtaposing slacker style. It’s a truly brilliant album, full of diversity and richness ~ as if it was a multi~fruit carton of juice, it brings every vitamin to the glass, and it’s so bloody nice to drink. (excerpt)
•¬• https://brightonsfinest.com/html/index.php/music/2573-theo-verney-one-small-piece
Review
RHYS BUCHANAN, RATING: 4 STARS
•¬•      Theo Verney has been threatening to break through for a few years now, and debut One Small Piece promises to be the blow needed to lift the the Brighton songwriter to the next level. It’s an album which blossoms with maturity but also brings something refreshing with its down the line simplicity.
•¬•      Opener ‘Running Backwards’ takes us down a canyon of dazed guitars backed by piano — One Small Piece diverts heavily from Theo’s earlier work which was more choppy. It’s not afraid to shout about its influences either; although at some points it becomes a little over the top, ‘Enter the Daylight’ and ‘Cotton and White’ sound like someone paying direct homage to ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’. Not exactly the worst thing.
•¬•      Perhaps the most consistent factor on show is Theo’s unmistakable talent on the guitar. He loves to lob in a convincing noodle where fitting, and this is a real delight throughout. The time it’s taken for him to launch this record into the world has paid off: One Small Piece is a fitting introduction to the Brighton songwriter.
•¬•      http://diymag.com/
Bandcamp: https://theo-verney.bandcamp.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/theoverney
Tumblr: http://theoverney.tumblr.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theoverneyy
Interview: http://www.1883magazine.com/music-features/music-features/theo-verney
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