Passenger - Wicked Man's Rest

Passenger are the latest middle-of-the-road pop-rock band to come out of the UK, headed by songwriter Mike Rosenberg, who clearly aims to come across as a tortured romantic type with his super-sensitive vocal. However, his delivery of lovelorn lyrics is actually rather insipid. Aside from the vocal, Wicked Man’s Rest’s opening title-track is pretty enough, but is followed by the misfiring Night Vision Binoculars. While it’s a perky little tune, it really doesn’t work with the lyrical content. A mildly creepy tale of stalking would be great were it delivered with the wry menace of Jarvis Cocker or the bursting heart of Morrissey, but Rosenberg’s presence isn’t strong enough to give the subject-matter plausibility. And while not being as good as Pulp or The Smiths is hardly a crime, the song does underline an inherent problem with the album. When Rosenberg sings about love (and he does it a lot), that’s exactly what it seems like – a man singing a song about love. Whereas a good love song pulls you in and immerses you right in the middle of its heartbreak, there is no real emotional connection here, which is strange because one look at the track-listing suggests the five members of Passenger are desperate to tug at the heart-strings (Walk In The Rain, You’re On My Mind, Table For One).

Sure, there is some accomplished musicianship here and a few sweet little melodies (even if things do seem a little measured), but in spite of Passenger’s overt attempts at sensitivity, Wicked Man’s Rest is simply too clichéd and bland to be emotive.

Review by Rob Townsend