Always the singer-songwriter pianist bridesmaid, never the singer-songwriter pianist bride. Some artists seem destined to inhabit the world of the could have been, should have been. This career reprise of the quintessentially English (still – though now US based) indie-intellipop sensibilities of Ed Harcourt tries to make the big breakthrough the second time around. Is it just me? I might well be the intended target for this release – Harcourt having not registered with any of the past seven years and five albums (TLOBF regulars will know that sadly this is not an uncommon state of affairs however). There are a couple of unissued tracks here, plus a limited number of double CDs are available under the same title – the second disc containing completely new material to entice existing fans.

First impressions had me certainly appreciating the effort put into the subtle complexity of these lovely slices of melody and intelligent lyricism, but I was left feeling like I should like it more than I actually did. I was reminded of an Anglicised Finn Brother; a bit of Neil Hannon perhaps (even an echo of Peter Skellern?); people who strive to give ‘pop’ a good name: unashamed of sweet arrangements, harmony, and inventive catchy tunes; but with the baring of souls necessary to lift them up from the purely commercial into the recognisably artistic. I thought the 80:20 rule was in effect – so much that was good but just missing something to make it special. Then I slowly discovered that what was ‘missing’ had in fact been there all along: understatement. A few listens later and the scales had fallen from my eyes, err… or ears.

Opener “Born In The ’70s” is a misleadingly chirpy and frothy start with an anthemic (and foul mouthed) chorus, but a couple of tracks later the more restrained introspective tone begins to dominate. Harcourt has a voice that can be quiet and dry, or stretched and emotional, and I am besotted with the pure trumpet he often employs – hence the apparently bizarre old Peter Skellern reference. “Black Dress” is a song of longing with a gently skipping beat, and the gorgeous bittersweet “This One’s For You” has an aching vocal (plus trumpet!) to make it my top pick. “Fireflies Take Flight” is a soothing piano ballad with a xylophone picking out the tune, which always makes a song a winner as far as I’m concerned; but there are upbeat interludes – though often darker words lurk beneath as with “Visit From The Dead Dog” that mingles childhood terror and funerals in with the toe-tapping (Graham Coxon also features on guitar – plus more trumpet!).

Only the jokey “Shanghai” grates with repetitive lyrics and an uncharacteristically grandiose guitar splurge, but we’re soon back to despair and fighting with the lean maracas backing of “Shadowboxing”. New track “Whistle Of A Distant Train” is a pained lament on platform departure with alto-sax highlights that has a Tom Waits feel – that is if Tom Waits ever sang with a mouth full of Strepsils in place of the usual gravel. The mildly jazzy mood continues with the title track – with the Strepsils wearing off as Harcourt begs to a lover over looped wobbly antique strings in a Sparklehorse fashion. These are songs from a craftsman, earnest and hardworking, and the result is rare and valuable.

Harcourt is the shy scrawny kid left standing alone when all the more obvious choices have been made in picking the footie teams, who then turns out to be little Georgie Best. Maybe he still can be a contender…
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Links
Ed Harcourt [official site] [myspace] [buy it]