Dave Stewart
Album: The Ringmaster General
Label: Membran
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.davestewart.com/

After the resurrected rocker he showcased on last year's well-received The Blackbird Diaries, it seems the former Tourist/Eurythmic is happy to continue to explore rootsier territory. Also made in Nashville, here he ropes in a series of distinctive singers with which to duet - ranging from the by-numbers caterwauling of Joss Stone on the rocky I Got Love to the more restrained and infinitely more soulful country ramble that follows it: Just Another Fall captures the lower register fragility of Stewart's relatively unadorned voice as his singing partner Diane Birch is given room to soar.

It's a mature album that gives vent to Stewart's rampant muso tendencies, but unlike much of his solo work it retains a songwriter's heartbeat. The piano ballad A Different Man Now has echoes of early 70s Elton John, while Alison Krauss helps decorate Drowning in the Blues with a grace and passion missing from lesser talents. Somewhat less graceful is the blues-shred Girl in a Catsuit, recorded with Michael Jackson axe-woman Orianthi, but the no-holds-barred rocker (with slightly surreal, almost Dylan-esque lyrics) sounds right at home.

The Ringmaster General is a thoroughly becoming addition to Stewart's musical canon - there are many that would do well to take note of how he's done it.

Nick Churchill
www.thegranvillechambers.co.uk