David Thomas Broughton - Complete Guide to Insufficiency - Plug Research Records
The Complete Guide to Insufficiency marks David Thomas Broughton’s debut in the American music scene. Using only an acoustic guitar, looping pedals, and a drum machine, Broughton recorded the EP in a single take at Wrangthorn Church in Leeds, England. It is with this in mind that the album is truly able to excel. I had to listen to the album a few times before I could deny the temptation to write off his sometimes repetitive guitar lines as boring; in actuality the cyclical lines paired with his other-worldly voice make the songs resemble the chants of monks – ghostly yet soothing. Images of a deserted church are conjured up many times throughout the album, such as the tolling bells at the end of track three or the eerie echo that can be heard on track two.
Yet, this album is riddled with contradictions. While the echo on track two inspires pictures of a serene church, the lyrics to that same song are anything but religious. Broughton sings, “I wouldn’t take her to an execution/I wouldn’t take her to a live sex show/I wouldn’t piss or shit on her, would I?/Because I love her so.” There is something inherently wrong about mentioning a live sex show in a church, but that is what makes Broughton so interesting. At the same time as I am wondering what woman would ever be flattered by such an abnormal love ballad, I am also envisioning myself in the church where he recorded the song.
It is his gift to move you and confuse you at the same time that makes his music so powerful. Track three talks (presumably) about a solider lying in an unmarked grave who still has a woman waiting for him to be found. “My body rots/While she is sleeping,” Broughton sings, once again creating conflicting feelings. Despite the somewhat graphic imagery, the song is endearing and his fade into overlapping reverb-ridden lyrics once again creates a particularly fitting image of ghosts.
Yet, the songs are unnecessarily lengthy. Although much of the power from the album actually comes from the chant-like and slow-moving repetition, the effect would not be compromised if the songs were all five minutes long as opposed to eight or nine. The last song is particularly sluggish, and even the introduction of the drum machine towards the end did not stop me from wondering exactly how much longer it would be until it was over.
On the whole, however, David Thomas Broughton has created an impressive debut EP. Even though it is often repetitive, this repetition is well-worth the mood that it creates for the majority of the songs. The Complete Guide to Insufficiency showcases his peculiar yet moving folk and his ability to transport you to another time and place.
-Talia Sandwick
