Richard Thompson – Still (ALBUM REVIEW)

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richardthompsondiscRichard Thompson has a unique standing in contemporary music circles. Although the origins of his career can be traced to his tenure in Fairport Convention — a band considered one of the leading lights among the English folk rock vanguard — his ties to any traditional trappings remain tenuous at best. Here was a man whose solo debut, oddly entitled Henry the Human Fly, still holds the ignominious distinction of being the worst selling album in the history of Warner Bros. Records. And yet he never let defeat shackle him with the result that these days, he’s regarded in certain circles as an artist akin to a god, due not only to his extraordinary guitar prowess, but also to his knack for composing cleverly pointed melodies that make light of absurd circumstance and assorted human frailties. His style can be both tender and tenacious, but its his ability to etch certain twists and turns into his narratives which makes for a truly distinctive persona. It’s a rare artist who can stand out in such a way as to garner such absolute devotion while also still daring to be defiant… even to the point of shamelessly flaunting his unabashed eccentricity.

Still, Thompson’s latest epoch, doesn’t necessarily take him any further afield, but rather it occasionally recalls elements essential to his seminal style. The sweetly sincere sentiments that accompany the opening track, “She Never Could Resist A Winding Road” bring to mind the bemused narrative about the obsessive Elvis fan who makes the overseas trek to pray at the altar of her idol in “Galway to Graceland.” “Guitar Heroes” is sketched from the same firmament as the ode to the classic motor scooter he sung about so fondly in the song “Vincent Black Lightning.” The somber and sobering “Josephine,” takes its cue from a more well scrubbed palette, sharing a certain similarity to “Eleanor Rigby” in its description of the title character’s journey through loneliness and longing.

Indeed, the dark side of Thompson’s complex motif figures prominently among the edgier elements in his musical arsenal, and the downcast deliberation of songs such as “Where’s Your Heart” and “Dungeons For Eyes” bear the sort of incendiary feel that can make more timid listeners shudder in suspense. On the other hand, Thompson does have a playful side to his persona, evidenced in jaunty and carefree “Beatnik Warning” and the sudden surge of the album’s most deliberate rocker “No Peace, No End.”

Ultimately though, Still offers what Thompson’s best albums have always provided in the past — not only a varied pastiche, but one that offers a view of humanity that’s astute, insightful and yet surprisingly sympathetic. Because for all of Thompson’s sardonic observations, his affection for his subjects clearly reigns supreme. Despite his sometimes dry deliberations, there’s an apparent sentiment that suggests his heart lies with the underdogs and he’s merely the conduit that helps them connect with the world at large. In that sense, Still shows a certain humility and humanity that have always been the basis of Thompson’s ongoing muse, an unassuming ability to make his characters shine larger than life even despite their humble standing. In his songs we can find a bit of ourselves, and if there’s some sense of liberation in that, it’s a gift for which we can all be grateful.

 

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