These five songs are of a Scottish artist, born in Kirkcaldy, trying to find a more genuine way of expressing himself through music.
The EP comes after a two year break during which Latto took a full time day job and pondered the creative process. "It's not easy when you don't have words", he sings on the title track, a problem both in writing songs and in navigating the complex field of personal relationships.
However, there is no sense of frustration or anger. With a four piece band and female backing vocals from Mally Smith, this is not the sound of a tortured artist but rather that of someone finding a renewed confidence in having something to say. Better Way expresses the belief that there is life beyond the end of one's tether.
The smooth, self-assured feel is enhanced from slick electric guitar playing from John Mather which is particularly effective in the closing tune - Losing You - a song about wanting to hold on to a relationship that is slipping away.
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Haunt Me was apparently recorded in one take in the Glasgow recording studio and in it Latto says that he sought to adopt a more impressionistic approach to his writing. However, the fact that the song doesn't sound fundamentally different from the other four makes me think that if the listener heard a hint of less glossy, more spontaneous arrangements overall, this would be a stronger record.
David Latto's website
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