Kevin Hewick - Driven By Love Driven By Hate - Botheration - Out Now
Leicestershire's most enduring and currently prolific songwriter returns with his fourth album in almost as many years and as with other Hewick opus, it's an epic biographical journey telling tales of childhoods, teenage angst, adult torments, social roots and, er, dogwalking.
Proudly boasting no promotion, no PR and no radio support, Hewick's charm is due in part to having an ear for a pinsharp melody and delivering bitingly sardonic and observational lyrics that hover between railing middle-aged rebel and snarling youth. And believe me, that is a compliment. Driven By Love Driven By Hate is so chock full of quality it's difficult to grasp just why the former Factory and Cherry Red artist struggles to be appreciated outside of his hometown. Oh OK - "no promotion, no PR and no radio support". That must be it.
But it needn't be like that forever. Lend an ear towards the likes of Jackson Pollock Pebbledash, the opener A Robe, A Razor and a Bowl and the sprightly Country Mile and you're immediately introduced to a backing band that ably carves out an agreeable folk-rock backdrop to Hewick's vocally note-perfect ouevre. A wry BBC reference to protest-singers greets the harmonica-soaked intro to the album's most topical cut - Watch And Learn sinks its teeth into the media and suggests we "Piss on the Daily Mail", "Wipe your arse on the Sun" and "Puke on the Daily Express", wise advice indeed.
Guest singers grace the album's other key songs including the epic Season Three which comes over all Field Music, Lilac Time and The Mekons and the breezy pretty Tinks which explores the bond between human and feline without mawkish reference. In both cases Autumn Dawn Leader (now there's a name) lends a bonhomie and sense of melody rarely heard these days.
Although perhaps a bit lengthy overall - twelve songs might have sufficed - the seventeen that Kevin Hewick has unleashed rank as some of his best.
8/10
Proudly boasting no promotion, no PR and no radio support, Hewick's charm is due in part to having an ear for a pinsharp melody and delivering bitingly sardonic and observational lyrics that hover between railing middle-aged rebel and snarling youth. And believe me, that is a compliment. Driven By Love Driven By Hate is so chock full of quality it's difficult to grasp just why the former Factory and Cherry Red artist struggles to be appreciated outside of his hometown. Oh OK - "no promotion, no PR and no radio support". That must be it.
But it needn't be like that forever. Lend an ear towards the likes of Jackson Pollock Pebbledash, the opener A Robe, A Razor and a Bowl and the sprightly Country Mile and you're immediately introduced to a backing band that ably carves out an agreeable folk-rock backdrop to Hewick's vocally note-perfect ouevre. A wry BBC reference to protest-singers greets the harmonica-soaked intro to the album's most topical cut - Watch And Learn sinks its teeth into the media and suggests we "Piss on the Daily Mail", "Wipe your arse on the Sun" and "Puke on the Daily Express", wise advice indeed.
Guest singers grace the album's other key songs including the epic Season Three which comes over all Field Music, Lilac Time and The Mekons and the breezy pretty Tinks which explores the bond between human and feline without mawkish reference. In both cases Autumn Dawn Leader (now there's a name) lends a bonhomie and sense of melody rarely heard these days.
Although perhaps a bit lengthy overall - twelve songs might have sufficed - the seventeen that Kevin Hewick has unleashed rank as some of his best.
8/10