“ANDY SMYTHE Poetry In Exile★★★★ DREAMING ELEMENT CD ”A ghost haunts this machine,” warns Andy Smythe on the opening song of this eclectic collection, ‘hungry and mean.” It’s a cautionary comment on artificial intelligence. Casting a wide gaze across our contemporary cultural and political landscape, the singer-songwriter also provides observations about everything from totalitarianism (‘Power is a Drug’) to the rental property market(piano ballad ‘Dear Landlord’).Smythe is a literate craftsman, and his songs are artfully arranged. Strings, horns, accordion and blues harp add rich and varied textures to the songs. There are aspects of Bob Dylan, Tim Buckley and Hunky Dory-era David Bowie to Smythe’s vocal stylings and melodies. But this is an album that transcends its influences and reveals him to be a distinctive voice with much to say. The tone is often dark and introspective, but hope is to be found, especially on the poignant ‘Everything’s A Bit Broken’.Clive Webb” - Clive Webb