Martin Grech, Open Heart Zoo

Martin Grech, Open Heart Zoo - I bought this album when it was first released on the strength of the title track. Sadly, the album fails to live up to the promise of this song.

While the strongest tracks stand out and demonstrate Gretch's ability as a songwriter and recording artist it's hard not to question why such tracks weren't used to create a strong debut EP rather than a mildly distracting album. Other offerings from the album's twelve tracks amble their way along in a confused manner often failing to live up to their true potential and inevitably fail to demonstrate any stylistic continuation.

The album is hindered mainly by a desire to overcomplicate the songs with sound byte oddities and perverse arrangements, all of which smack of the overindulgence of personal tastes rather than, as has been suggested, any musical genius.

Although I revisit the album's better tracks as a single piece, the album has never sustained my interest for more than 10 minutes and, in my opinion, is both static and two-dimensional.