‘The Imperfectionist’ is a dirty body of work full of passion, soul, and power. It does not strive to be perfect because, frankly, it would not be anything like Nothing Concrete if it did. From Scotland to Foix, France, ‘The Imperfectionist’ is a melting pot of styles and cultures; from afrobeat to blues to tango, and each song is filled with grit, honesty, and fervour. The opening track “The Boats” is bombastic and emotional from the start. It is a tribute to all that is beautiful in human variation and migration. “Broken Bird” plumbs more vulnerable territory. The vocals are halting, honest, and the arrangement is more stripped back, allowing the lyricism to hang in the air, unencumbered. It feels personal.
Energy returns with “Cometh The Hour”. It has a brighter, more hopeful quality. It doesn’t shout, it just rolls forward with certainty. Title track “Empty Whiskey Bottle Mariachi Blues” is everything the title promises it to be. “He Doesn’t Do Much of That Now” is a resigned ballad of sorts. It’s a bittersweet track that almost sounds like the singer’s smile is crinkling along with his voice. “The Imperfectionist” centres the album. This is an important song to the band. The way the band lets this one breathe and just be, a little more naked and less ornate than the rest, is perfectly imperfect.
“John Henry Lee” tells a tale. It’s a workaday tune with the deep foundation of folklore and rhythm to hold it up. The blues more clearly weaves its influence into the track. “No Force” eases the pace of the record. It is butter-smooth and drifts along in such a way as to soothe but not sedate. The album ends with “S.O.S – Save Our Souls,” an almost literal cry to the heavens. The words on this track are more direct, and the emotion is strong. It has an earnest quality to the production that allows the emotion to ring out loud and clear. “The Western” brings the album to a close with aplomb. It has the broad, cinematic sweep of a larger-than-life film. ‘The Imperfectionist’ is alive. It strives for no other measure than honesty and emotion. It is not perfect, it’s not meant to be. The music of Nothing Concrete has made an album that has weight, soul, and story.
