When unsure about a volume of poetry, I have now adopted the process of putting it aside for a while (1 or 2 months) and then go back to it. This is paying dividends, and Raymond Antrobus’s Signs, Music is a case in point. Second time through I really liked it.
The collection is full of great images which the relaxed and chatty style doesn’t compromise. And, as a father, there are lots of echoes of my own experience – both practical and emotional – which Antrobus calls out really well.
If you like your poetry gentle and feeling-full – and less ‘shouty’ – then perhaps give Signs, Music a go.
Ian Gouge - Writer 