George Moorey is a busy chap. When he's not teamed up with Dan Pierce as half of the sublime Ghosting, he's producing superb recordings of Chris Davidson's songs. And when he's not doing that, he's helping out Dan Pierce again, producing his band mate's solo work.

A Good Year for George Moorey:

As with Ghosting's "Good Year" single and Davidson's Letting Go album, Dan Pierce's Say Something Dumb is a fine piece of musical craftsmanship. Like Ghosting's output, it is smooth, gentle and quietly gorgeous. It has been put together with love, affection and a great deal of thought.

Cellos weave in and out of the tracks while pianos caress the harmonies. Keyboard samples and drum programs support the fragile structure of each song and all the while a barely-there guitar strums somewhere in the background.

Musical Picture:

It's one of those albums where everything seems to be in the background, even the singer. The result is a blurred photograph of a recording, where musical colours fade into one another and produce something poignantly beautiful.

The album opens with a sense of discreet expectation. Fittingly, it is called "Any Time Now". A collage of scratching records, short bursts of brass and Greenwich pips mingle beneath the song's simple message of hope. Look to the future, Pierce whispers: "We don't have much time for arguing now".

Hope:

The optimism continues throughout the album. Even in moments of sadness, there is still a silver lining: "We broke it all apart, but it's not ruined" Pierce sings in "Ruined", a song full of fear of change and an uncertain future.

Tomorrow Never Knows:

Much of the album concerns these uncertain futures, along with the tentative hope that sometimes accompanies going into the unknown. From Laney's (sell-out?) desire to "move close to a beach with a house in the sun" ("Now You Belong to Them"), to the worried, bullied school boy - "Dominate, dislocate, they can be so cruel" ("Sharks Have Fins") to the reassuring words of "You are bigger than any one good day" ("20,000"), the message is the same: the future is uncertain, but don't worry, we'll get through it.

When he is not concerning himself with the future, Pierce's thoughts turn to the present. He is aware that people can go unappreciated. He is a strong believer in inner beauty. "Waking in Audrey's House", "One Last Try" and "Now You Belong to Them" all concern unnamed women who feel misunderstood and confused.

Not Just Skin Deep:

They feel condemned to put on a show for the rest of the world. The narrator can see beauty in them: "I'm sure she was there behind her facial" runs one line, while the opening lyric of "One Last Try" begins "Taking off her underclothes, she doesn't want attention, she wants style."

By the last track, we see that Dan Pierce is just as confused as the girls he has been singing of. The repeated line in "Catch me in the Fall" is just that: "catch me in the fall. I can't catch at all". He is full of doubt, completely lacking in self belief, but even here there is optimism: there is someone to catch him. And he is grateful.

Not Dumb At All:

The result is a tender portrait of hope and doubt in the modern world. Sensitive, yes. Tender, certainly. Miserable? Never. Say Something Dumb is a concept album for the worried and uncertain, a gentle 40 minute reminder that, hey, maybe it won't be that bad after all.

28/10/04 - First published on www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire on this link