Boo Hewerdine
Album: My Name in the Brackets (The Best of Boo Hewerdine & The Bible)
Label: Reveal
Tracks: 18
Website: http://www.boohewerdine.net/

You will certainly not be short changed with this album which contains a massive eighteen tracks. It has also broadened my musical horizons and knowledge as I must confess to knowing very little about Boo until I received the album to review.

The album is a retrospective look at his own career by Boo, spread over twenty five years, and contains music from his time with The Bible and his subsequent solo career. It is only when I started to research Boo that I realised just how many people he had collaborated with and written for. It is almost a who's who of modern popular music. Marcus (Boo) Hewerdine is described as one of Britain's most consistently accomplished songwriters and the title of the album defines his original ambitions. He is also a very well respected producer. Talent abounds in this bundle!

The album contains both old and new tracks but because of the quality of the writing and the production it is difficult to tell which is which. The backing is a mix of very simple laid back guitar work and piano on many tracks whilst others have a full blown band, including sax and strings. Boo's melodic voice overlays each song with a clear lyrical quality which makes the music so much more personal. "Mahalia" is a perfect example of this although I am not sure that I really like the talking bit. The sax is wonderful though. "59 yards" is a true blues number and in many respects is out of kilter with many of the other tracks. A total opposite to this track is "The birds are leaving" which is a beautiful song with a lovely piano intro and a string section. I just love the total simplicity of so many of the tracks. Whilst being beautifully produced, they are never over produced allowing the listener to hear every emotional quiver in Boo's voice and every slide along the guitar fret board.

I could probably list every track here and comment on each one individually but that would make for a very boring review. Suffice to say that I have not yet heard a track on the album that I do not like. Some, as above, I like more than others. The occasional track includes some delightful harmonies carefully chosen to complement Boo's voice.

My professional day is taken up by being a Chartered Surveyor and I was thrilled to see a track entitled "Geography" a topic which is very dear to my heart.

So, if like me, you were not really aware of Boo and his music, the question to ask is why should you buy this album? To put it simply, you should buy it if you like a real storyteller's songs, beautifully played and sung. Proper music as my wife would call it. Quite simply a fabulous album!

There is an age old adage that you should not judge a book by its cover. Well the same goes for this album. The photos of Boo on the cover and the insert all make him look just a little bit grumpy, including the photo that looks a somewhat like Eric Clapton. However somebody that can write music like this cannot be a miserable old sod. Sorry Boo, give us a smile please.

If you want to learn about music and song writing, Boo also holds music workshops which I imagine would make for a truly wonderful experience. Shame that I am too old to learn new tricks.

Boo has been touring the country in November and I am very disappointed to have only found out about this now. He will however be back on the road in 2015 with Eddie Reader. Must look out for that one!

Rory Stanbridge