At Swim Two Birds
Returning to the Scene of the Crime

"I believe, I hope, I am writing a journal of events. I have a terrible memory... perhaps I should learn to forget the things of the past and look forward, but I have a certain need to remember... I surely don't learn from my experiences, but at least I make sure to take note of them.
I hate to think, but maybe it's true, that I want to force my experiences so I can then comment on them.
I come from a family that never discussed things for too long. I hope I'm managing at least to open my mouth...
I'm starting not to worry about what comes out of my mouth: it's the most important thing for writing."

Roger Quigley is a complex character for many reasons.
Firstly because he forces you to look inside your soul and analyze it, his albums from the Montgolfier Brothers (alongside Mark Turner) to those under the name At Swim Two Birds are psychological analyses of one's self; secondly, he is a man of few words, there are few traces of his poetry and his way of thinking, but the aforementioned quote represents, in my opinion, a good part of the sentiments of this singer-songwriter. Lastly, Roger is introverted, sometimes he feels like a plane about to crash and is perhaps unsure of his talent. He's definitely not a serene person, and in his music, this has weight.
One of his phrases struck me again in reference to the previous album titled "Quigley's Point" from 2003 where he dedicates the songs to a beautiful girl who, when she met him, perhaps believed she would receive help to mend her wounded spirit, but her heart was broken once again because of Roger.
This is Mr. Quigley: a twilight person, who measures words and accompanies them with sweet, sad melodies, it's not a CD to play when birds are singing outside or the sun is shining in the sky, but it's a CD that helps investigate oneself through a disenchanted analysis of reality. The listener must fill in some of the music's voids with their own thoughts and reflections on their state of mind; with his deep voice, Quigley evokes the inner world of all of us.

In 2007 comes his return to the crime scenes, where he decides to masterfully revisit some of his songs written between 1995 and 2000, subjecting them to a new melancholic and nostalgic treatment.
The album in question represents the spirit of this singer-songwriter, an autumnal and twilight spirit, but made of delicate and bitter emotions, it's not a record that instills serenity but I believe that sometimes each of us must immerse ourselves in these notes to discover how heartbreaking they are and how beautiful it is to close ourselves off, like a hedgehog, without external intrusions.
Take for example the opener "In Bed With Your Best Friend" which begins with Roger's voice as the absolute protagonist, determined and alluring combined with sparse instrumentation, almost barely hinted at. If the tracks were originally more serene, the new interpretation in this album is cloaked in the colors of autumn and loses its leaves.
"The Smell Of Suntan Oil On Your Skin" finds a delicate way with a barely sketched melody to enter the depths of our hearts, even "My Luck Is Turning" and its delicate guitar string plucking leaves a pleasant bitterness in my mouth... it may seem a contradiction, yet it touches bittersweet coordinates that let one appreciate the dark delicacy of this track.

And lastly, listen to "Giggling Fits" to understand what I mean, a veil of sadness will lay over you but you won't be alone or empty, you'll just be seeking the door to enter the depths of your being thanks to Roger Quigley.