"Anybody who says they got God on their side makes me terrified," goes the chorus of the title track from
Trevor Childs' debut album, a heartfelt protest song about the Iraq War that, unlike most political anthems to be, has a catchy tune and memorable chorus to go along with its well-intentioned beliefs. That tends to be the standard throughout
Terrified, which is positively lousy with memorable turns of phrase, unexpected arrangement choices (like the deliberately cheesy calliope-sounding carnival-esque keyboards underpinning the ironically chipper "Don't Get Old") and a surfeit of solid folk and folk-rock melodies.
Childs is perhaps a bit overearnest at times lyrically (see "Golden Arches" and "This Modern World" for details), but for the most part, he's too smart to get caught by the usual folk singer clichés. The sarcastic snarl of "Deathwish" is more to
Childs' liking, and it's a style that suits him. ~ Stewart Mason