Darren Hayman And The Secondary Modern - Pram Town (2009)

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Darren Hayman’s knack for verbalizing the trials and traumas of lower-middle Britain is well documented. As the driving force behind 1990’s indie outfit Hefner he grew a cult and enthusiastic following that hung on his every acerbic turn of phrase and whom took a great amount of pride from supporting a band rubbing delightfully against the grain. As a solo artist he’s continued resolutely on this idiosyncratic path but, as evidenced by Pram Town, has visibly mellowed with age.

Pram Town finds Hayman in wistful mood and it’s an absorbing - if somewhat unexpected - spectacle. Basically a concept album dealing with a nameless young man stuck in the colorless and oppressive confines of commuter-belt England, it paints a sobering picture of suburbia that most listeners will be achingly familiar with no matter which side of the Atlantic they come from.

Named after his hometown of Harlow, Essex – a nickname given to the London commuter town to reflect the influx of new families into the area – this is a gentle, folk-infused collection of songs that is equally moving and funny. Hayman’s penchant for well-observed lyrical couplets remains evident. When he talks of the planning vision behind new towns and of “digging holes and pouring concrete” on “Our Favourite Motorway” every word paints its own intentionally drab story.

When he goes on to speak candidly about the populace’s frustrating lack of ambition you sense also that this isn’t a sentiment Hayman reserves purely for the residents of Harlow. He’s talking about every dowdy, unmotivated lower middle class area in Britain and he’s ruthlessly spot-on. But this isn’t the type of caustic kitchen-sink melodrama that critics have often accused Hayman of carelessly slipping into. This time around Hayman simply assembles the characters and events within the story and leaves the listener to fill in the gaps. Subsequently every single listener will end up drawing their own conclusions and taking something different from this album. For that reason alone Pram Town deserves plaudits aplenty.

Through banjo, bells, glock, trombone, trumpet and strings, Hayman assembles a warm and comforting musical accompaniment that sets the story’s individual scripts off deliciously. This is by far the most accomplished solo album from Hayman and evidence that age is helping the songwriter explore rich virgin territory. Long may it continue. CULTUREBULLY