Clive Gregson
Album: This Is Now
Label: Gregsongs
Tracks: 14
Website: http://www.clivegregson.com

Clive’s twelfth solo album (believe that!) finds him with an upbeat spring in his step, delivering a whole new clutch of typically pop-savvy Gregsongs, many of which have such a pronounced ring of familiarity that you feel you’ve known them for a while. And so it goes, with Clive once again giving you a whistle-stop tour through the familiar bittersweet territories of sanguine reflection, lost love, regretful rumination and rueful romance; yet such is his skill that you never feel a sense of “same old same old, heard it all before” about his writing – I really don’t know how he does it, time and again! Highlights for me include the tender homecoming of There, the rolling reminiscence Haarlem, the ode to a favourite guitar Flat Top, the reliable twang of You Slipped Away, the jangly country of Supposed To Do, the wistful rolling lilt of Sooner Or Later and the road-song finale Such A Long Way From Home. And that’s close on half of the record.

The quality doesn’t let up, even on the slighter but snappy northern-soul of My Kind Of Girl. And it goes without saying that Clive’s in unmistakable singing voice, and his role as skilful multi-instrumentalist and arranger is unchallenged (he plays everything except drums, and some brass on one track); he’s not just a brilliant guitarist after all! Clive could, I’m sure, keep producing top-drawer records like this till the cows come home and beyond – and I for one won’t complain.

David Kidman