Album Review: Diorama Of The Golden Lion by .357 Lover

This album actually came out a few months ago and i’ve been pretty tardy in getting around to posting a review for it.

I first heard of Corn Mo when I saw him supporting Ben Folds and posted an interview; with him back in mid 2008.  He’s back and this time he’s packing a full band.  Prepare yourself for the mighty sounds of .357 lover.

The album elicits the kind of joy you got as a child rummaging around in your Chistmas stocking wondering what you were going to pull out next.  Perhaps something fanstastic or just something silly – but always, always great.

“Thank you” wouldn’t be out of place on the Bugsy Malone soundtrack.  The guitar solo on “Sweet Kentucky Girl” is a joy to behold.  The wonderful oddness of “Junior High” which morphs from ‘Old McDonald had a farm’ to being ‘Who-esque’ to a red-neck type kind of greatness all within the first fifteen seconds.

It’s an album which is just impossible to summarise in a review – and that is exactly what makes it so great.  An album which rings through with the sound of people really having fun making an album – and their joy is infectious.

Standout tracks: Sweet Kentucky Girl, Time Cop, Your NIN Casette (I’m Sorry), Maybe tonite.

A conversation with… Corn Mo

Welcome; John Cunningham aka ‘Corn Mo’.

Q/ Morning. How’s it going?

Good.

Q/ I was doing – what I laughingly like to call – research. Now the internet is quite a big place and perhaps I was poking around in the wrong corner but it’s quite hard to find a huge amount of information on you. Are you carefully maintaining the persona of an enigmatic master of songs?

No. I’m just not that popular. It would be brilliant if it were true.

Corn Mo – The magic is you!

Perhaps it’s just me but I like to listen to the support acts.  More often than not they’re ignored and I always think it’s such a shame.

I’m off to see Ben Folds next month and the support act is a called called ‘Corn Mo’ (aka John Cunningham).  In preparation I got a copy of his album from Amazon and I have to say that it’s excellent.