When Ed Harcourt first emerged on the UK music scene a few years ago he was subject to the music media’s habit of finding someone to over-hype. He was on everything, everywhere and hailed as the finest singer/songwriter, etc. etc…. But it was his last album that finally convinced me of the lad’s talent as a writer and performer. Unfortunately the album disappeared without trace due to lack of media recognition, and a criminal lack of airplay. Harcourt’s new album takes a more populist route but does it with panache and skill. It remains to be seen whether our fickle media take to it and provide the support it deserves.

Harcourt’s last album included several epic and memorable songs. THE BEAUTIFUL LIE opens with a strong opening gambit called Whirlwind In D Minor. It offers a characteristically strong melody, rocky instrumental arrangement, bouncing rhythm and quality vocal. The second track, Visit From The Dead Dog, is throwaway pop and utterly forgettable. However the following song, You Only Call Me When You’re Drunk, lifts his game to acceptable levels with its deep bass backdrop, flashes of brass and one of those melodies that stays in the memory. It also offers clever changes of pace, orchestral flourishes and a massive crescendo that finishes off the song in grand style. The Last Cigarette is a beautiful, acoustic song with mournful violin passages and a contemplative vocal style that is utterly compelling. This is a single in waiting, and although radical in the context of current chart material, I think it could succeed. Shadowboxing is a flamboyant, swaying song with a relatively simple musical arrangement, a magical melody, wonderful choruses, and is another potential single. The middle section of the album lacks emotional strength but it picks up again with moving songs like the epic Rain On The Pretty Ones, the haunting The Pristine Claw, and glacially paced beauty Braille. Good Friends Are Hard To Find concludes the album with arguably the most moving song on the album featuring a stripped-down arrangement with piano coming to the fore, and Harcourt’s best vocal performance.

There’s much to like about this album, and while it doesn’t quite scale the peaks of his last release, it deserves praise and sales success.

4/5