Everything Was Beautiful, and Nothing Hurt

Placing his days as an edgy drum'n'bass programmer behind him, Andrew Coleman changed his life around and moved onto a houseboat in Cambridge, England. The effects of his newest surroundings are evident on his first solo LP, the aptly titled Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt. Coleman sets the record's dreamy scene with subtle beats that add more texture than they do form, leaving his sonorous keyboard and guitar lines to set most of the musical pace. Reminiscent of everything from the snail-paced melodies of Town & Country to the tinny percussion samples of bands like Mouse on Mars and Oval, Coleman adds in plenty of his own original ideas to create a technologically sound yet earthy-feeling record that relies more on texture than it does on melody. With echoing tones and slight instrumentation, Coleman does come close to really dragging out a number of tunes but, in most cases, his narcolepsy-inducing beats slip in halfway through and quietly rescue the whole affair. Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt isn't a monumental recording achievement, but it is a relaxed effort that creates a beautifully soothing musical atmosphere. ~ Peter J. D'Angelo, Rovi