Try This At Home£10 (inc postage)

Roughmix - Ref No. 985902-6

The CD album from the Fair Trade and Trade Justice championing duo of Gareth Davies-Jones and Rob Halligan. Depsite touring together for many years all over the UK this is the first time they have recorded together. Peter Banks of After The Fire (ATF) engineered and produced as well as tinkling the ivories on a handful of the songs on this gem of a CD released on ATF's RoughMix label.

1. Upside Down (Gareth Davies-Jones)
2. Eleana (Rob Halligan)
3. Bring 'Em All In (Mike Scott)
4. God On Our Side (Rob Halligan)
5. Money Goes Round (Gareth Davies-Jones)
6. Do Justice (Rob Halligan)
7. Broken Things (Julie Miller)
8. The Outlaw (Larry Norman)
   

Review of "Try This at Home" From "Never For Nothing" Nov edition; GARETH DAVIES-JONES & ROB HALLIGAN :
Try This at Home. (Rough Mix Records, 11 Firs Chase, West Mersea, Essex, CO5 8NG)

This is the first collaboration from these singer/songwriters who champion the cause of Fair Trade and Trade Justice. Engineered and produced by After the Fire’s Peter Banks, there’s a “no frills, raw sound” to this 8 track CD. Musically, it’s primarily just they guys’ guitars providing the backing and consequently, the sound feels a little empty at times. However, it all kicks off very nicely with Jones’ ‘Upside Down’, which I found to be quite appealing. Halligan’s ‘Eleana’ has a Latin feel about it, and tells the sad story of a Spanish girl who got mixed up in the drug scene and eventually died of HIV. These guys play a lot of concerts and I think that seeing them live would be a lot better than this resulting CD. The songs are quite thought provoking, such as ‘Money Goes Round’ and ‘Do Justice’, and shows the writing skills of both men. Memories of Julie Miller came flooding back to me towards the end of the CD, as Gareth sings his rendition of ‘Broken Things’. A pretty little song, and well, delivered. All in all, a taster of two of the UK’s busiest independent songsmiths.