Album Review: I Don’t Belong Here

Joseph G Thompson recorded this album as something of a farewell wave to New Zealand prior to moving overseas and drawing a line under 20 years in business and touring as one half of Joseph & Maia. I Don’t Belong Here is a telling title then, for a collection of melancholy-tinged introspective songs examining life, love and moving onwards.

Opening track Belong Here both clearly sums up the lyrical mood, and also makes clear that Thompson has the skill set of an experienced writer and performer. The song opens with a gentle acoustic strum before expanding into a satisfyingly full-bodied mid-tempo country rock song. The arrangement has the kind of natural and organic approach that propels the listener into the first of many melodic choruses where singing along is virtually inevitable. The instrumentation and arrangement is subtle, sensitive and supportive, and as far as opening statements go this song is about as emphatic as you could expect.

Over the next few songs, Too Late, Old Habits, and Cowboy, this mid to low tempo mood is explored, and expanded upon. The balance is struck between maintaining a sense of intimacy relevant to the lyrical landscape and adding appropriately sensitive arrangements. This would be an ideal time to make mention of the work from the rhythm section of Adam Tobeck and Matt Short, who know exactly what each song needs and add subtlety and sensitivity to the delivery. Fine work.

Moments of collaboration like Sleep Train with Dan Sharp, and Til We Die with Luke Thompson don’t detract from the main thrust of this album, and contribute to a pervasive sense of melancholy that runs through the whole collection. An essential element is the introspective nature of the lyrical approach and Thompson is skilled enough as a lyricist to maintain a sense of connection with the listener, carefully avoiding moving into territory that is maudlin or self-pitying.

Credit also needs to go to the highly skilled cast of contributing musicians with the aforementioned Tobeck, Short and Sharp plus Si Moore, Aaron Clarke, Maia Thompson, and Luke Thompson, adding fine shades of instrumental and vocal colour throughout. Again, it is a case of experience and skill to the fore, and Producer Nic Manders very much leads from the front by being a key contributor as an instrumentalist as well as adding very much his signature production style. This is worth mentioning because there is a very clear sense of symbiosis here – the songs are perfectly matched with the people best equipped to bring them to life.

Given such a consistent strength to the work, picking out standout moments feels a little bit arbitrary. Perhaps the first chorus of Belong Here or final track Til We Die which – despite a title which might be misconstrued – is very much a moment where all of the elements of this album are finely distilled into a powerful love song very much in the tradition of Love Songs – in capitals.

I Don’t Belong Here is a strong collection of work, featuring first-person perspective songwriting with a strong unified vision as well as the experience, support and motivation to carry it off. It’s an intimate gentle album that does leave one wondering the extent to what happens with this artist next – and where.

It certainly feels like there is a lot more that we have yet to hear.