Tune In Saturdays: Richard Hawley

It's not often you find a British-born country pop crooner, but here it is with Richard Hawley, former guitarist for the greatness of Pulp. Hawley's crooner styling, reminiscent of a Bacarach meets Orbison with a dash of Neil Diamond, provides a fantastic force in front of a beautfiullly orchestrated gem. Hawley obviously has some trouble figuring out what exactly he wants to be, but really, they're all good choices so why not just play them all.

From the BBC:

Lady’s Bridge sees the scope broadening further from Coles Corner, into an album that sees the average tempo lift a notch. Anyone expecting a radical new dance direction will be disappointed. He has seen that the wheel is doing fine for now and intends to leave it that way. While Hawley’s sweetly dark, yet doomed romantic voice - not lightly is it compared to Scott Walker, Roy Orbison and Jim Reeves - intones tales of past love, wanderlust and heartbreak. Oh, and in the swelling swoonery of lead single “Tonight The Streets Are Ours”, ASBOs. On the magnificent “Lady Solitude”, Hawley evokes a hard worn northern Leonard Cohen, and blooms on the bruised romance of opener “Valentine”, while the gentle skiffling “I’m Looking For Someone To Find Me” lifts the spirits immeasurably.

Overall, Lady’s Bridge is an utterly lovely, timeless album that Hawley can be proud of, and deserves to further his cause in becoming a proper national treasure. Don’t let him get robbed again.

Richard Hawley - I'm Looking for Someone to Find Me (mp3)
Richard Hawley - Serious (video)