Dour Dury takes a punt as poet for the people, and comes out on top with a selection of witty, retro-infused tunes.
The son of Ian ‘Blockhead’ Dury, Londoner Baxter blazed his own morose trail with two albums in the Noughties.
But a more musically and lyrically convivial atmosphere pervades Happy Soup.
Dury skewers his subjects with playfully observant lyrics and dry wit delivered with his characterful cockney-infused indifference - Leak At The Disco paints a vivid picture of him wading through an ‘oil spillage’ of egos in a Chiswick nightclub, backed by the soothing, honeyed vocals of Madelaine Hart over a pleasingly plinky synth recalling early Grandaddy.
Afternoon, meanwhile, could be a downbeat offcut from Simple Kid, and the title track reveals a welcome splash of pychedelia.
But it’s Dury’s lyrics and dour, laissez faire delivery which project this third solo record towards the realm of greatness.
4 stars
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here