A dreamy, languid, beautiful and darkly humorous sixth LP release by the British-Canadian singer-songwriter with songs drenched in yearning, pain and self-deprecation, heavily influenced by Leonard Cohen, and a voice that at times echoes the resonant sighs of Chet Baker. It’s a classy, gloriously penned, gorgeous listen, filled with lovely melodies and chord changes, but particularly unexpected and sometimes barbed lyrical twists. Take for example, “He’d have to be clinically dead to not want you” from 70s, soft focus, super-slow soul-funk Always Some MF. Or on the smoothly strings-laden Buses Replace Trains, the absurdly ironically saccharine “Forever is too short / I wanna make love in the afterlife” to “God peaked making you” on “Tangled”. Then there’s the biting images of Happy Birthday: “It's October. How could I forget? / Picture you older/ With a knife in your hand/ And a chocolate cake / A candle in your face / A different man stood in my place / And I'd break my legs in half / Throw my arms away / Just to celebrate you bad / On your special day / I miss you, and ‘Happy birthday’”). The entire album is like one long glorious sigh of twisted wit, musically serene, but emotional torn. There’s more throughout, including the desperately lovelorn Anytime, Anyplace, Anyhow. Cutting yet smooth to the taste, the recipe is a combination for for album of songs that feel like modern classics. Out on Tonight Matthew / The Orchard.
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