Glaswegian ex-Orange Juice" backing vocalist Paul Quinn finally brought his own rich deep tones to the fore on his 1995 debut, Will I Ever be Inside of You, cut alongside a coterie of musicians including fellow Orange Juice-ers Alan Horne and James Kirk.
Within the framework of the Independent Group, Quinn's so-distinctive voice, which lands somewhere between Bowie, Lloyd Cole" and Scott Walker, spins out in front of what amounts to a series of interesting, but unobtrusive, backing melodies. The opening title track is a dirgy, longing lament loaded with odd electronic bits and pieces, as well as an ethereally brief chorus. "Lover, that's you All Over" meanwhile, is a sparse, guitar twang that vividly repaints some of the alternative post punk's gloomier acoustics. And, while the rest of Will I Ever be Inside of You follows along in the same sort of vein and, while it's also true that Quinn doesn't break any new ground, there are some absolute gems in the set, as "Misty Blue" unravels like some long lost ballad spun through cobwebs, and the closing "At the End of the Night", with its subtly buried rhythm, plays out a somewhat beery, and completely fitting nightcap.
Often startling, Quinn loads Will I Ever be Inside of You with unexpected dips and twists, keeping the mood fairly somber, but ensuring that anyone taking the chance can't settle in and kick back too easily. Sweet and just slightly sinister, this set can't be ignored -- it's gorgeous fodder for the older doom and gloom set. ~ Amy Hanson