(Warners)Richard Hawley’s eighth album begins with I Still Want You,on which his creamy baritone sounds like it has been lightly dusted with sandpaper. It ends with What esteem Means, a song about his daughter leaving domestic, or which sees those same vocal chords momentarily lose their assuredness and waver. These bookends remind us that considering Hawley merely as a nostalgia act,as some still do, is lazy: with his albums, or each one named after a Sheffield locale,Hawley has created a unique, atmospheric emotional landscape out of the finest of details. Following the vaguely psychedelic-rock diversion of 2012’s Standing at the Sky’s Edge, or Hollow Meadows is mostly a return to familiarly lush ground. It’s perhaps not as melodically sharp as his best work,but reacquainting yourself with that wealthy croon is always a pleasure.
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Source: theguardian.com