Customer Reviews

Lady's Bridge

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Nocturnal and romantic, these pop serenades recall the tunes of Frank Sinatra, Roy Orbison, and Nick Drake but take us into the modern age with the likes of Magnet, Ronderlin, and the Divine Comedy. "Tonight the Streets are Ours" is a classic, which comes in a shiny up-tempo version that has as much longing as The Smith's "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out." Better yet, you also get an aching acoustic version. Not one bad song on this masterpiece.

A new flavor added to the lush guitar stylings of Richard Hawley, some rockabilly.
A stunner, no doubt, with some added catchiness.
Why the world at large is not aware of this man's talent remains a mystery to me. Someday plenty of coffee shop strumming straw hat wearing would-bees with be doing their versions of Hawley songs and hailing him as the genius some of us have known him to be all along.

This music is a warm blanket for a quiet winter morning - a loving lingering hug - salve for an injured soul - unmistakable optimism in a subdued suit of sadness. Lady's Bridge is music out of time and unplacable in time. I can only guess - and I'd like to believe - that Hawley made this music to please himself. It is un-self-conscious, with influences that subtly draw upon the best of the past 60 years. String and brass arrangements ebb and flow around soulful guitar and vocals to create a laid back, satisfying ride that you'll want to take over and over again. Regardless of whom it was made for, I'm glad I found it. Filed in my iPod under (genre): "Slo-core". If you like Chris Isaak, Tindersticks, Ida, and Low, you'll love this too.

Imagine an amalgam of Frank Sinatra, Elvis and John Lennon singing rapturous, eerie songs about love and loss and darkness, and you will get the sense of this CD. There are several memorable songs from the opening riff, Valentine, to Solitude, Darkness...that left me feeling oddly down and uplifted at the same time. I am definitely going to listen to more of this singer.

Richard Hawley did it again with another lush, timeless album filled with peerless songwriting, masterful production and subtly brilliant arrangements.

Most notable on the first listen is the single, 'Serious,' which sounds like something that Ricky Nelson might have wished that he'd done in his glory days, if he'd had Roy Orbison producing him. The rest of the album is less overtly 'rocking' but does not disappoint.

Anyone who liked Hawley's previous release, 'Cole's Corner,' will be very happy with this new album and should buy it straight away.

Hawley is from Sheffield--a different England than what London might tell you--and a true romantic. True where true means real. A guitar that Jarvis Cocker was enough to recruit for Pulp's tours, that you can imagine playing in the local pub, lyrics written in wrinkled napkins next to a pint of brew.

I don't that this album is "his best" or "one of his best" but it is wonderful. No song may be a surprise to those who know his work but they'll show their maturity, the clarity of what Hawley likes to play and convey to us. I could even see Orbison or Fkank Sinatra nodding if not covering some of these tunes, were they still with us.

Lady's Bridge is the follow-up to the highly-acclaimed 'Cole's Corner', from UK crooner 'Richard Hawley'. On this album he betters himself (which is no mean feat). Yes,you have the trademark ballads like 'Valentine' and 'Lady Solitude', but throw 'Tonight the Streets are Ours' with it's luscious string arrangement and the stomping 'Serious', then you have a serious collection of surefire magic. Can't recommend any higher, Buy it!!

A worthy follow on from Coles Corner. Richard Hawley's delivery is as polished as ever and the melodies and arrangements are strong, too. I wish I'd been able to get to his gig in Cambridge, MA recently!