Album Review: Josh Pyke The Beginning And The End Of Everything

In what could easily be declared as his most heartfelt album yet, Josh Pyke makes a return to the delicate honesty of his 2007 debut Memories & Dust and the simple yet refined disposition of Chimney's Afire (released a year later) with his fourth offering, The Beginning And The End Of Everything. So much of the album harks back to Pyke's earlier work, but at no point does the material feel recycled. Even in sticking to his guns, there's a distinct air of growth as an artist pulsing beneath the contents.

Pyke has always had a way with words, and what fills The Beginning And The End Of Everything is no exception. The arrangements are simple enough to place an acute attention on Pyke's natural word-smithery whilst simultaneously carrying an underlining complexity that propels the musicality of each track, rendering a pleasant pop sensibility in amongst the stripped-back folk backbone. Bug Eyed Beauty opens the album with gorgeous layering of Pyke's vocals, shedding light on not just the sincere, sweet imagery contained in the lyrics, but also the raw quality of his voice. Even with the support of additional instrumentation (such as in the upbeat harmonica-fueled Leeward Side and poppier Feet Of Clay), Pyke's vocals sit at the foreground of each track, remaining the most valuable instrument in his music.

Save for the subtle experimentation of instruments and vocal arrangements, The Beginning And The End Of Everything doesn't offer too many surprises. Instead, it sees Pyke attune to all his best attributes and piece them together in 11 lovely tracks.