Phil Burdett:
Humble Ardour Refrains:
Shaky Path to Arcadia:
CD:
Both Drumfire Records:
Out January 27th 2016:
Gravel-voiced Essex-based alt-roots troubadour Phil Burnett has been knocking around since the days of punk, releasing his debut solo album in the late '80s and subsequently crafting story-built albums ever since. His last full-length opus, 2013's Dunfearing and the West Country High, was his ninth collection of heartfelt 'bluesiana' that garnered acclaim.
All of which should signal a wider audience with the release of not one but two new albums. Despite (or perhaps because of) his recent hospitalisation, Burdett has all the more reason to unleash more tales of hardships, hopes and hallowed paths well-trodden. Wielding a cane, a pint and a pack of fags, Burdett's style is man-about-town-well-travelled, a little bit Southern rock, a mite British blues, Tom Waits-via-Basildon with a pin-sharp band behind him.
Continuing the so-called Secular Mystic Trilogy, Shaky Path to Arcadia carries on where Dunfearing left off, but this time with a darker edge to it. There's a nod to the Deep South on Removal Van Blues, while the opening Returning to Earth is as simply sumptuous a starter as you could wish to hear.
Across the album you'll hear lyrical couplets like "If you're drunk without your lover in a bar / they'll put on Lady Day" and "Got my walk down pat / bear-suit frown, cocked hat / check this attitude / new-town boy so rude" and just about every neat little country-blues lick this side of the delta. The likes of Christmas in Casablanca and Flower Arranger tear at the heartstrings, while Hellbound and Innocent and New Greyhound Rag keep things on the upside.
Sister (or is it brother) album Humble Ardour Refrains is a leaner less busy affair and all the better for it. Downbeat, introspective in places, celebratory in others, Burdett's maverick foibles come to the fore, offering us tales of his travels and songs of the unexpected. So where Shaky Path to Arcadia resembles Rain Dogs-era Tom Waits, Humble Ardour Refrains comes over all Heart of Saturday Night. Aficionados of Bill Callahan might warm to the likes of the slightly trippy A Kind of Chalkwell Station Blue with its flute, percussion and elasticated bassline, while That Primrose Song and Likes of Us aren't so far removed from the likes of Van Morrison or James Taylor, save for Burdett's trademark growl.
Come Hither Green Breakdown is a darned sight more laid-back than Lewisham's forgotten suburban district while Bryan Ferry's Magnificent Coat isn't the suave glam Roxy anthem you might be hoping for - it's end of the night drama all the way. Curiously lacking in a lyric booklet (Arcadia has one though), the true origins of this album remain something of a mystery but it's still a rewarding earful.
Humble Ardour Refrains - ★★★★★★★★☆☆
Shaky Path to Arcadia - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Humble Ardour Refrains:
Shaky Path to Arcadia:
CD:
Both Drumfire Records:
Out January 27th 2016:
Gravel-voiced Essex-based alt-roots troubadour Phil Burnett has been knocking around since the days of punk, releasing his debut solo album in the late '80s and subsequently crafting story-built albums ever since. His last full-length opus, 2013's Dunfearing and the West Country High, was his ninth collection of heartfelt 'bluesiana' that garnered acclaim.
All of which should signal a wider audience with the release of not one but two new albums. Despite (or perhaps because of) his recent hospitalisation, Burdett has all the more reason to unleash more tales of hardships, hopes and hallowed paths well-trodden. Wielding a cane, a pint and a pack of fags, Burdett's style is man-about-town-well-travelled, a little bit Southern rock, a mite British blues, Tom Waits-via-Basildon with a pin-sharp band behind him.
Across the album you'll hear lyrical couplets like "If you're drunk without your lover in a bar / they'll put on Lady Day" and "Got my walk down pat / bear-suit frown, cocked hat / check this attitude / new-town boy so rude" and just about every neat little country-blues lick this side of the delta. The likes of Christmas in Casablanca and Flower Arranger tear at the heartstrings, while Hellbound and Innocent and New Greyhound Rag keep things on the upside.
Sister (or is it brother) album Humble Ardour Refrains is a leaner less busy affair and all the better for it. Downbeat, introspective in places, celebratory in others, Burdett's maverick foibles come to the fore, offering us tales of his travels and songs of the unexpected. So where Shaky Path to Arcadia resembles Rain Dogs-era Tom Waits, Humble Ardour Refrains comes over all Heart of Saturday Night. Aficionados of Bill Callahan might warm to the likes of the slightly trippy A Kind of Chalkwell Station Blue with its flute, percussion and elasticated bassline, while That Primrose Song and Likes of Us aren't so far removed from the likes of Van Morrison or James Taylor, save for Burdett's trademark growl.
Humble Ardour Refrains - ★★★★★★★★☆☆
Shaky Path to Arcadia - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆