A CORK TALE WAKE

"If only this album had maintained the standard of its opener, Serpentine, it would have been a shoo-in for one of the most perfect discs in an age. As it is, the rest of the album is simply excellent. This is his fouth album, but his first major 'indie' push, now that the world may be ready for him. Bathgate is a kind of goth-folkie - Sufjan Stevens as done by Gomez with Nick Cave sensibility, so the stars are clearly aligned. His voice has a wonderful cello-like timbre, and most of the instrumentation gives it plenty of dry, cold space in which to work - the songs typically build towards a powerful acoustic climax." www.contactmusic.com