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A Discography of Andy Gordon's output to date.
Reviews for Life Got In The Way.
Chris Peken - Alternative Media Group - (3.5/5 stars)
Would you stand on stage in front of your mother, other family, and assorted friends and announce this was a song about masturbating naked in your backyard? Andy Gordon is just that sort of guy; stark naked and honest - musically and otherwise. As you may gather from the album's title, this little pop gem has been a few years coming, but it's worth the wait for those who like a lot of light and breeze along with their sweet harmonies and easy-to-like pop tunes. Aside from the aforementioned Backyard, the sing-a-long chorus of She's Not Right For You is hard to resist and Gram Parsons' influence country ballad of Everything I Offered provides a beautiful counter-point and album highlight. Closing with the fairground alt-pop of Sunday's Child rounds out an album that continues to provide joy with each listen. What more can you ask for?
Jeff Apter - Sydney Morning Herald - (3.5/5 stars)
As Bob Dylan proved during his Woodstock idyll at the fag end of the 1960s, there's a lot to be gained from the everyday. Southern Highlands singer-strummer Andy Gordon surely agrees: during the easy-to-like Life Got In The Way, an album of smart lyrics and breezy melodies, he taps into the minutiae of everyday life and elevates it far beyond the mundane. Interestingly, he appears to channel the Bobfather himself on Everything I Offered, an update of Dylan's wonderful Nothing Was Delivered.
Jason Walker - Mag (Issue 61 Dec/Jan) - (4/5 stars)
Occasionally, a songwriter gets through at the lowest point of access in the music industry, thanks to Myspace making it possible to get heard. Kangaroo Valley singer/sonwriter Andy Gordon's debut was 12 years in the making. As the title infers, the vagaries of life kept interfering. Lucky he persevered. She's Not Right For You has all the makings of a sleeper hit, and Everything I Offered is like an outtake from Neil Young's Harvest. The production is crisp, the vibe is gentle folk-rock with lashings of vintage keyboards and sweey harmonies and if you buy it, you'll be helping a truly indie artist.
Steven Pender - Tripple J Unearthed - (4/5 stars)
Andy Gordon's Life got in the way creeps up on you like a late summer tide. You sit down with friends mid morning with towels and sangria and by 4pm you're awash in melody and you find yourself smiling and singing lyrics you didn't realise you knew. I've had the disk in my high-fi system now for two weeks - hasn't been ejected once. Yes, I really enjoy the music - but mostly, I'm still getting to know it. The more I know it, the more I feel I know the man behind it. There's an uncomplicated joy in Everything I Offered that tells the tale of a simple man that's had enough of seeing the potential in a one-sided romance. And the beautiful heartbreak of Don't You Feel carries the signature of a character that revels in life's feelings - no matter how bitter - and there seems to be a true happiness in this track. It's as if that character knows that this bitter feeling is what makes him who he is. And he likes who he is. And I love it. The stand out track for me is Lid. It's a teasing falsetto that draws you in and is a lovers' breath away from an indie rock anthem - but it never gets there. And that's the point - it's not supposed to. I keep listening to it, and each time I pray with squinted eyes and gritted teeth that it will jump to the next level - but it never does. I always demand more of it. So I play it again. Doesn't get there. Again. Nothing. Again... Then I caught a lyric; And another; Then I logged on to Andy's website to read the lyrics. And there it is - the reason it never gets to the next level. And it all makes sense. And it's perfect. From simple pleasures to beautiful heartbreak - this is an album to savour. Think of a solitary beach house; A late storm rolling in over a slate sea; And your best friend and lover curled with you on the day bed. And there you have it - Life got in the way.