Linda Thompson – It Won't Be Long Now

Linda Thompson has been an integral part of British folk music since 1972, when she teamed up with former husband Richard Thompson. Richard, became celebrated for his attacks on political hypricosy and fame/ meanwhile, Linda, was carving out a unique and brilliant niche as folks foremost melancholy voice. In 2013, she returned with her 4^th solo album ‘Won’t Be Long Now’ which is littered with more songs about heart ache and the sense of romantic isolation.

The album begins with ‘Love’s For Babies and Fools’ and features aforementioned ex-husband Richard features on guitar. However, with this track, and most of the album, it is Linda’s sublime voice which is the main attraction. In her 67^th year, she has developed a slightly deeper tone which adds to the bitterness and despondent lyrical content effortlessly. Memories of 1975’s ‘Pour Down Like Silver’ album will come rushing back Thompson yet again makes the bleak incredibly listenable.

‘Never The Bride’, is a tale told spanning 3 years of the same female protagonist from the age of 16 to 18. Each verse recounts a growing sense of pain and despair as she meddles with an adulterer, a deserter and a failed engagement.

‘If I Were A Bluebird’, deals with yet another sailor who has left for shores afar and thus creating a realm of loneliness to bring a lump to any throat. Thompson’s protagonist longs to have the ability soar into the sunset after her lover(s) as they always leave never to return.

The album has tracks like ‘Never Put To Sea Boys’ and ‘Paddy’s Lamentation’ which are bland and lack emotive influence. This is a pity as the songs ‘Never The Bride’ and ‘If I Were A Bluebird’ are so highly charged they will leave you emotionally exhausted.

The album is not without a lighter note or two though. On ‘As Fast As My Feet’, there 3 generations of Thompson’s in action. Her three children and grandchild Zak Hobbs combine with Linda to produce verses akin to the Ocean Colour Scene’s classic ‘This Day Should Last Forever’ and a guitar solo worthy of David Crosby and Roger McGuinn at their Sunkist best.

The family affair continues on the album closer ‘It Won’t Be Long Now’ which was written by son Teddy. It is very light of touch and strolls along carefree to leave you in a happy state of mind.

Nevertheless, this album, on the whole deals with bleak and forlorn characters which draw empathy from the coldest of hearts. Linda Thompson is notoriously shy of the spotlight but this helping deserves everyone’s attention. A triumph!

New Band Spotlight – High Hazels

In recent years, Sheffield has seemingly taken Manchester’s place as the musical capital of Britain. It has produced a fine array of bands such as Arctic Monkeys, Hey Sholay, The Crookes, Low Duo, Reverend and The Makers, Standard Fare…..we could go on and on!

Well, now they have one more. High Hazels are a group of school friends from the steel city who, only have two songs online to date. ‘Hearts Are Breaking’ oozes class and charm to such an extent; you would think this is from an outfit on their 3^rd or 4^th album.

James Leesy’s vocals are the star of the show. They sit somewhere in the middle of his Sheffield counter parts Richard Hawley and The Crookes’ George Waite. This mid-range tone is perfect for this light footed indie number, as it floats effortlessly among the clouds.

TT suspects that when the mood turns sour, Leesy’s tones are going to create something truly unique, and when they turn to themes of heartbreak, eeesh, they are going to churn stomachs.

Top 10 Albums of 2013: 5-1

5. British Sea Power - Machineries Of Joy

It seems insane to think British Sea Power’s debut ‘The Decline In British Sea Power’ was released ten years ago. A decade on, they have released their 5^th studio album: ‘Machineries Of Joy’. The punkier numbers have mellowed somewhat but their beauty and grandeur remain large on an album which celebrates the classic BSP sound fans have come to know and love.

However, ‘Hail Holy Queen’ is one of the few tracks which deviate from the classic BSP sound this album generates. The strings will drift you out to sea without a care in the world; meanwhile Hamilton’s vocals are gloriously sweet and reminiscent of Mercury Rev’s David Barker.

But back to basics: ‘Loving Animals’ takes BSP’s love of Bowie to his electro/Berlin phase. What is fantastic about this song reflects what is great about this entire album. You can hear BSP’s influences from start to finish but at no point is any track a pastiche or parody. The final minute exemplifies this with the trippy Neu-esque guitars which are accompanied by vocals worth of Mark E Smith at his insatiable best.

Quite often with British Sea Power records one or two numbers are up-tempo punk rock anthems and mark themselves out as instant classics. On ‘Machineries Of Joy’ however everything is far more tranquil. ‘When You Need It Most’ is a sumptuous ode to Richard Hawley’s ‘Coles Corner’ material and the great Walker Brothers singles of the late 60s. ‘A Light Descending Above’ recalls the rock prowess of ‘Open The Door’ but with a sombre Robert Wyatt circa ‘Shipbuilding’ approach.

Ultimately this is an album for the dedicated British Sea Power fans out there. It is as though the lads have hit the studio with the idea: ‘let’s make a British Sea Power record’. There’s no messing around with new formulas here, but it is not a step back by any means. The quality of every track - we repeat, every track - is so high it is impossible for it to be anything other than a triumph.

Finally, what really excites TT about this is album is the feeling that the next one will be like witnessing a fully charged BSP going into a glorious battle, armed only with electric guitars and massive amps.

4. Suede – Bloodsports

Welcome back to the fold of being the dogs bollocks! ‘A New Morning’ was a whimpering exit from a band that produced 3 of the best 90s albums. They returned in 2011 for a greatest hits tour which culminated in a stunning Royal Albert Hall performance. As with true creative people though, regurgitating is not enough.

Album opener ‘Barriers’ will have die-hard fans giddy. The catchy riffs and synths of their youth are in full swing and Anderson’s vocals once again cart you off to feral landscapes. This song kind of sums up the entire album as it crosses the murky brilliance of ‘Heroin’ and pop sensibilities of ‘Trash’ to form a bridge between their 2^nd and 3^rd albums.

Lead-off single ‘It Starts And Ends With You’ feels like Anderson and Osman laying to bed former single ‘Obsessions’. ‘Obsessions’ is not a bad tune in isolation, but when stood next to ‘Animal Nitrate’, ‘Beautiful Ones’ or ‘A New Generation’, it sounds weak and half-hearted. ‘It Starts And Ends With You’ however, has Anderson snapping the lyrics out with a new found aggression and there is a tightness which it gives it a live sound. Lyrically, it is a reminder to the world that nobody writes battered and bruised love songs as well as Bret Anderson:

Shout out but it just spins faster,

Crawl up but my knees are water,Cling on by my nails to the sweet disaster
And then I fall to the floor like my strings are cut,Pinch myself but I don't wake up,Spit in the wind cause too much is not enough,It starts and ends with you,

The third single from the album ‘For The Strangers’ is another triumph. A glorious ballad to rival ‘By The Sea’ and ‘Saturday Night’. For all Anderson’s wonderful gutter imagery of lovers in the past, this track uses is simple imagery. Some may argue that Anderson has lost touch with his gutter past, but, we TT believe it is a show of maturity, to recognise that the music can signify all the meaning on a song like this.

All in all ‘Bloodsports’ doesn’t have a bad track on and is there for old and new fans to explore and admire. What it fails at, is reinventing the wheel. There is nothing on the album which will make you think ‘wow, that’s new for Suede’. Nevertheless, they reinvented the wheel with their first 3 albums. Being in there 40’s, ‘Bloodsports’ was like the last Rocky film. Proving to themselves and fans alike that the fire still burns and the magic is still there.

3. Toy – Join The Dots

In age and when debuts are lauded and follows up are maligned at best and ignored at worst, Toy have delivered a treat of second album. it is derivative of the first album for sure, but, every track signifies progress in some form. ‘Join The Dots’ is a prime example of a label (Heavenly Records in this case) giving a band the freedom to go out and achieve exactly what they want. Here’s why.

‘We Won’t Be The Same’ begins musically as a sumptuous ode to The Byrds circa ‘The Notorious Byrds Brothers’. Vocally there is more than a casual nod to the Velvet Underground and the chorus has joyous nodes to early Pink Floyd. The influences are great to hear but after half way, Toy make this record their own with their ability to impel you onwards in a state of blissed out rock psyche like no other at present.

The two standout tracks are the title song ‘Join The Dots’ and ‘To A Death Unknown’. On ‘Join The Dots’ the guitar parts become gloriously frenzied near the end and the synths build to a point where you fear for your speakers safety. Whereas, the bassline pumps along subtly but always forcefully, something Kasabian could do with considering.

‘To A Death Unknown’ is a different affair altogether. This feels like the beginning of something new for the band. All their classic incorporeal notes are present but this feels like a slow walk towards creating a pop classic. Let’s be clear, a pop classic this is not but there is a more simple structure in place and if the vocals had a bit more aggression, then crowds would be singing along in full voice. Heck, let’s all fantasises about what would happen if Stephen Street was behind the desk for their third album. The traces of Marc Bolan on this track and ‘Endlessly’ could become more powerful than you can possibly imagine (yes we know that’s Obi Wan Kenobi).

The self-titled debut from Toy was a battle between noise-psyche and 60s melodies which, at the time, everyone thought they got just right. However, on the release of ‘Join The Dots’ it’s obvious this was not the case. ‘TOY’ lacked the power and authority that ‘Join The Dots’ possesses. This album is a triumph of all that Toy are. TT hopes the next album will be a triumph for all that they are yet to be.

2. The Holy Orders - For Ears of Dogs to Come

Tom Robinson hailed The Holy Orders as the best new band from Hull on BBC6 recently and on this helping, it is a tag that will soon be extended to the UK. Their debut ‘For Ears of Dogs to Come’ is bristling with raw riffs and vocals akin to James Dean Bradfield circa ‘The Holy Bible’. This combination certainly makes for exciting stuff.

They open with the ambitious ‘Walk/Don’t Walk’. At times it is a raucous rock song which Pulled Apart By Horses fans will love and at other times it is almost an acapella. Guitar music has had terrible PR in recent times, largely because too many seem not to care enough. The Holy Orders, as can be seen on this opening track certainly do. It is disparate track, but, it upholds an anger and intensity throughout and will inevitably restore your faith in bands.

‘Deviants’ is an underground classic waiting to happen. What it lacks in evolution it makes up for with sheer brilliance and undeniable passion. It’s big catchy riffs and vocals which can be easily sung along to will hook audiences straightaway. The guitar parts and solo hold all the drama however. They also lack innovation, but they are great and they sound like they are made by men who had to do this, by men who needed to pour this emotion and creativity from their pores or face a life of regret.

Former single ‘Paper/Scissors/Stone’ is cracking pop song. It has short spikey riffs, references to The Beatles and ‘The Girl From Ipanema’ and a high pitched ‘oooooooo’ in the chorus for everyone to join in with. This is what so many alternative music lovers are crying out to see in the charts. Surely there is room to have the bland pop of Bieber and Britney alongside the eccentric power of The Holy Orders in 2014?

‘Retina Burns’, is a remarkable feat for such a fledgling band, especially the final minute of the track. The flurry of guitars provide that escapist feeling that only rock music can and the aggression used to achieve this would have Richey Edwards and Nicky Wire nodding in approval.

‘To The Gallows’ lets the album down slightly. The change in pace is welcomed as this is an album of feverish tempo and lighter note would have gone down a treat. Unfortunately though, the rip roaring rage and fury which surged through the veins of the previous tracks seems to have evaporated. TT is convinced this is a mere hiccup; one that no-one should care about either at this stage of their career. Let’s have 3 jaw dropping, fist smashing, gut wrenching albums before we get all soppy and bring the choirs in.

One thing for sure is, commercial stations, if they have any chops at all, will get behind The Holy Orders and unite rock and indie fans behind the 4 piece from Hull.

1. Primal Scream – More Light

Well, here we are at the illustrious number position. What an album, and what a return for Primal Scream. After a few years away touring their seminal album ‘Screamadelica’, many thought they were done and dusted. Not a bit of it! ‘More Light’ is as timely as it is genius, full of political bite, Led Zeppelin cameos and fucked up saxophones, the Scream are better than ever before.

We can only start at with the album opener, the single of the year, 2013. Without a shadow of a doubt this is the best song of 2013. From the moment the deranged keys drop its clear things are about to take off. The Scream has always been able to take listeners on a trip and this 9minute venture is no different. My Bloody valentine mastermind Kevin Shields features on guitar and how! Shields, along with Scream’s own Andrew Innes, have created the musical equivalent of a blizzard on this record. The guitars swirl in different directions simultaneously like the great work of Tame Impala and Pond of recent times but they have an added hostility which sets them apart. What is truly great about the music on the ‘2013’ though is the saxophone. It’s twisted and immediate and it drags the track into the realm of punk and classicist rock n roll that only Primal Scream can produce.

Lyrically, this song is as on the money today as 'Loaded' and 'Come Together' were in 1991. Gillespie has always had a seditious side but lyrically this has to be a career high. The lyrics are combustible from start to finish, attacking everything from rebels who sold out to the privileged elite who expect to rule. Trying to find examples of lyrics to discuss is usually simple, select a stanza and away you go. In ‘2013’ though, every word is anarchistic, rebellious and venomous rendering example selection impossible.

After 9 ferocious minutes of '2013', something is needed to calm things down and ‘River Of Pain’ is that remedy. The melodic acoustic guitars rattle along with a sublime riff in tandem with a softer, almost spoken vocal. Despite slowing things down, this is not a ballad to lighten the mood. This is a song of despair and anguish, confirming their status as the number one outlaws in town. Albert Camus must be looking on very fondly!

Lighter relief does come on the album closer ‘It’s Alright, It’s Ok’. This is the archetypal Scream meets Rolling Stones track. It is ‘Movin’ On Up’ crossed with ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’. Nothing new you might say and you would be correct. However, messages of ‘you can do it’ and ‘don’t let the bastards grind you down’ are becoming a distant memory. To have the gall to offer such an inspirational message in such bleak times takes courage and Primal Scream should be commended for it. Gillespie was recently discussing how rock music was dead as a form of counter culture. Well, if just one person picks up a guitar after listening to this album then he will be wrong and Neil Yong will be right (we hope)!

“Hey hey my my / Rock and roll will never die”

Top 10 Albums of 2013: 10 - 6

10. Miles Kane - Don't Forget Who You Are

We hope everyone enjoyed the festival season. Here at TT, we have been reviewing our favourite albums of the year so far and will be drip feeding these to you over the coming weeks. To kick things of here is our review of Miles Kane’s ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’.

As a whole, the second helping from Kane has taken T-Rex’s ‘20^th Century Boy’ and ‘Children Of The Revolution’ and injected them with a huge dose of adrenaline worthy of Liam Gallagher and Richard Ashcroft in their pomp.

The current single and lead track ‘Taking Over’ is a fine example of this.  Co-written with Lightning Seeds’ frontman Ian Broudie, the track has catchy and punchy riffs coursing throughout which serve Kane’s new aggressive vocals perfectly.

The album has an undercurrent of glam rock running through it and is none more prevalent on the stomper ‘Give Up’. It has some great guitar hooks which are sure to have crowds strutting nationwide when he is on tour next month.

There are two tracks written with Weller on the album and ‘You’re Gonna Get It’ is the stand out. It seems to spring from Weller’s ‘From The Floorbards Up’ with a Sex Pistols ferocity and shows Kane has guitar showmanship of Mick Ronson.

Kane doesn’t always get the new blend of aggression right though. The title track, ‘Don’t’ Forget Who You Are’ feels tired and a bit of a substandard ‘Jitterbug Boogie’. It’s hard to criticise someone so passionate, but the naivety of youth is definitely at play here. A step back and a more subtle approach with his producer and we could witness magic Bolan produced in his heyday.

His ambition to be the next great rock star of a generation is coupled with a softer intention to pay homage to the grand productions of Scott Walker. ‘Out Of Control’ is the kind of 60s nostalgia that everyone should make time for. It sounds big and grandiose but remains heart-warming throughout. Without tracks like this, what will young lovers sway to? What would cretins film on their shitty phones instead of living for the moment at gigs? We simply don’t know.

What we do know is that Kane is on one hell of a roll. His early days with The Little Flames and The Rascals showed lots of promise but didn’t quite come off. Since the Last Shadow Puppets debut, Kane’s confidence has soared and he has knocked up two quality albums. This serving is not perfect and therein lays its greatest asset:  it is unhinged, raw and energetic. The nods to Northern Soul, Mod and Glam-Rock here are fresh and fiery and exactly what the UK music scene need.

9. Edwyn Collins - Understated

As many of you are aware, in 2005, Collins suffered a brain haemorrhage - so it is an inspiration that he is making music these days at all. The immediate aftermath of the haemorrhage left Collins able to utter just 4 phrases: 'yes', 'no', 'Grace Maxwell' and 'the possibilities are endless'. If this is sending shivers down your spine then his new album ‘Understated’ certainly will.

The song-writing largely centres on Collins' feelings about having a new lease of life and how he is not going to waste it. So, strap yourselves in, folks, because you will be left an emotional wreck, reviewing everything you are doing with your life by the end of listening.

'Baby Jean' is a cracking soul tune reminiscent of Johnnie Taylor in his pomp. Lyrically, it is very powerful, displaying how music has been a therapeutic and cathartic outlet since recovering from his illness. To hear Collins sing 'I got music to see me through / I got art to ease the pain / I got sunshine on a cloudy day / And I'm going to find a way to understand' is as uplifting as it gets.

Collins' spate of optimism is a constant throughout the album, both lyrically and musically. The Orange Juice number '21 Years' decrees 'What the heck I’m living now' as he questions what the point of his rock ‘n’ roll career has been.

Musically, it is an incredibly soulful record. The opener 'Dilemma' is a northern soul beauty ready to bring home the English summer. 'Carry On, Carry On' has some Elysian Frankie Valli-esque production. Meanwhile, 'In The Now' is the kind of fired up soul meets rock ‘n’ roll number Beady Eye would die to have in their repertoire.

Standing out amidst the Temptations upbeat soul numbers is the sombre 'Down The Line'. Collins reveals the darker sides of piecing his life back together with the jaw-aching lyrics 'I wasn't there to comfort you / I wasn’t there to hold your hand / I wasn’t there to do my thing / The best that I could do'. As a father and husband, Collins clearly felt as though he was a burden during his illness. Anyone who doesn’t gulp a lump down their throat to this song simply isn’t human (or is a Tory, take your pick).

This is a strong contender for album of the year, it’s littered with great soul music and incredible pop sensibilities. Ultimately though, the main triumph here is Collins' ability to reflect on the highs and lows of his remarkable journey from being critically ill back to an idolised musician.

8. Public Service Broadcasting - Inform Educate Entertain

Public Service Broadcasting are a London based duo who have trawled the BBC archives to dub old public messages over their enthralling and evocative electro music. This, ladies and gentleman, is no flash in the pan gimmick. What we have is one of the finest albums of 2013 that you should all go and buy immediately.

If there was to be a blueprint for an album opener, Inform-Educate-Entertain would surely tick all the boxes. It is a rasping soaring piece of majesty worthy of Orbital at their finest. One of the broadcast splices states ‘a bright new era is dawning’ and when listening to this song, it certainly feels as though it might be. Despite being released before Royal Mail was decided to be sold off, it utilises excerpts in tandem with some great guitar licks which relay the fury many of us feel about yet another decision made in the name of greed.

 

This sense of loss is beautifully encapsulated by the track ‘Night Mail’. The old clips inevitably create a wave of nostalgia but it is the lush pianos and protracted synths that conjure the sense of something fading away never to return. And for what? To bump up the deficit reduction statistics so Messrs Cameron and Osborne can revel in yet more unfounded glory. If there was a song to sum the coalition’s lack of compassion and shortsightedness, this is most certainly it.

 

‘Spitfire’ will lead fans of Lemon Jelly to recall the ‘Shouty Track’ and ‘Staunton Lick’ on hearing this. However, like all quality music, they have borrowed from the past and added their own ambition to the mix. The combination of modern day Radiohead guitars with British Sea Power’s pop sensibilities gives this track an edge which their contemporaries simply do not have.

For all the brilliance of ‘Inform-Educate-Entertain’, it is occasionally guilty of filler. This is not because of a lack of imagination, more of a lack of originality in the execution. ‘Signal 30’ is a highly enjoyable track but if truth be told, it is something the Go! Team did with more flair. ‘The Now Generation’ meanwhile, feels like watered down version of Primal Scream’s ‘Swastika Eyes’. it is a real pity, an injection of something here could have made this song as strong as others on the album.

Perhaps the most interesting track on the album though is the stripped back ‘ROYGBIV’. Proclaiming ‘there is colour in the reach of everyone’, it is by far the most uplifting and optimistic track of the album. More importantly is hints that the duo could have a hit single hidden in their locker. This is not it, by any means, but the use of the banjo is incredibly infectious for the first two minutes and. the second half of the song has a brilliant funk riff reminiscent of A Certain Ratio. It also has the Beeb extract ‘I believe in this world to come / I think it’s going to be a pretty good one.’ A simple message but one this country is in dire need of as the Coalition’s divide and rule tactics run amok.

 

Overall, TT would have to say this album is not a classic. Nonetheless, it feels like the start of something genuinely inspiring and life-changing. On reading about the duo, you could be forgiven this is a one off gimmick. We feel, however, that this is the beginning of a remarkable journey to be had, one which hopefully coincides with a brave and optimistic British government that speaks to its electorate with heart, rather than with one eye on big business’ profit margin.

7. Peace - In Love

Peace are a 4 piece from Worcester and have been taking the UK by storm on their recent headline NME Awards tour. TT just couldn't resist the hype and had to check out their debut album ‘In Love’.

Whilst TT feels this is one hell of a debut, it would be foolish to ignore that this album is unblemished. ‘Lovesick’ is everything we despise here at TT: British bands singing in an New Found Glory style. It is enough to make you want to go ‘We Need To Talk About Kevin’ on anyone who likes it. There, now that’s been said, we can all forget about that and move on…

The opening track ‘Higher Than The Sun’ immediately brings to mind Primal Scream’s incredible Acid House tinged anthem not only because of the title but in relation to its escapist virtues. Whilst musically it is more akin to the Scream’s rock-cum bluesy numbers, it has a wonderful feeling of youth awakening and stretching for more. The timing couldn't be better suited with further cuts being made and the ridiculous “Bedroom Tax” coming in to play. Sometimes bands time their journey into cultural conscious of the public just right and Peace appear to be doing just this.

The indie/rock scene has been largely divided in to two realms in recent years. On one side you have rock-psyche with Tame Impala, Toy and Kasabian and on the other there are the softer and more pop friendly (but by no means less credible) bands such as Foals, Mystery Jets and Little Comets. Peace are exciting because they look like the first band to unite the two divisions. ‘Follow Baby’ has verses which sound like The Pixies but with Gruff Rhys pulling the production strings to create a uniquely trippy, yet punky, sound. When the track reaches the chorus, Harry Kossier’s vocals hit those lush tones that Friendly Fires did so well with on ‘Paris’ to provide an ecstatic moment to treasure.

The Foals references will be ringing loud and clear on ‘Wraith’. It is like an offspring of Foals hit ‘My Number’ whose riff may not be as catchy but as a single has so much more depth. There is also looping piano which fades in and out to signify that Happy Mondays’ ‘Step On’ was not in vain. The lyrics are spectacular within this setting too. The below chorus may read as childish but with the tune behind it, it feels like two young lovers grasping freedom by the horns with the intention of living forever:

‘You could be my ice age sugar / Lay me down and make me shiver / Blow me like a floating feather / We’ll be dark we’ll be dark we’ll be dark forever’.

 

Then comes the colossal ‘Sugarstone’. What a spectacular rock song. It has a beautiful haziness worthy of the Brian Jonestown Massacre and a swagger not too dissimilar to that off ‘Champagne Supernova’. Oasis seemingly play no part musically in the bands influences but the philosophy of Peace is something different altogether. What makes both bands great is that unseen spirit which allows you and your best mate to belong to something to cherish for all time. ‘Sugarstone’is one of the few tracks that manage to tap into this soul successfully with the lyrics: “It’s not about a generation / It’s not about our education / We don’t need to think today / Cos you and me can slip away”.

These lyrics are just another reason to why Peace are the best thing to happen to the UK music scene since the Libertines. They give a much needed voice to the indie/rock youth of today. TT can see Peace uniting the indie hipsters and math rock fans with Kasabian and Beady Eye lovers out there. ‘In Love’ is an album you must all invest in!

6. Wave Pictures - City Forgiveness

The veterans from Midlands returned this year with ‘City Forgiveness’, less than a year after the acclaimed ‘Long Black Cars’ was released. Ardent fans would not be surprised by this kind of prolific nature, but, this is isn’t any album, this is an M&S album……no wait, we mean, this is a double album.

After a decade of consistently good albums, fans could be forgiven for thinking ‘what’s left to do?’. The answer comes in the form of David Tattersall’s guitar playing. He has always been class, but only on this helping do we see him really let rip and more importantly, let go.

The tracks ‘All My Friends’, ‘Chestnut’, and ‘Ropes’ are prime examples of this. They all work within a similar framework, one in which see’s the rhythm section minimal to allow breathing space for Tattersall’s skills. On ‘All My Friends’, Tattersall combines a dark narrative (he proclaims ‘all my friends are going to be strangers’) with blasts on the guitar a la Peter Green.

‘Chestnut’ and ‘Ropes’ both have distinctive Neil Young vibes emanating from their pores. ‘Chestnut’ ambles along like Young’s ‘Believer’ in the verses before the big heart-warming chord changes lead you towards Young’s ‘Bar Stool Blues’. Meanwhile, ‘Ropes’ takes on the appearance of a discarded b-side from ‘Rust Never Sleeps’. How such quality can slip by the Mercury Music Award is astonishing.

Then, there is the oddity that is ‘Lisbon’. It’s an oddity on the basis that this is a genuine pop song and stands out a mile from the rest of the tracks here. It is three and half minutes of catchy and cool guitar music and the utilising of Dr Feelgood’s baseline from ‘Roxette’ is a touch of inspiration.

This album is not without fault it must be noted. It definitely has too many tracks and midway through disc 2 you will not hear anything different enough or better than what is on disc 1. ‘The Yellow Roses’ and ‘A Crack In The Plans’ feel a bit lack lustre compared to the songs we mentioned earlier. However, compared to some of the year’s most hyped albums (Arcade Fire and Arctic Monkeys for instance), the tracks which should have been trimmed are infinitely better than first choices on their albums.

What will be interesting is to see where Tattersall takes the band from here. It has been a long journey to reach this peak and it is a peak because Tattersall unleashed himself on the guitar. TT hopes he hasn't laid himself completely bare and there is still more to come.