Ian Hunter And The Rant Band
Album: When I'm President
Label: Proper
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.ianhunter.com/

Rightly revered these days as one of the great English songwriter, Ian Hunter was always there if you knew where to look - mid-70s Mott albums found common ground between unabashed rock 'n' roll and that indefinable melancholy that so often characterises a particularly classy strain of English songwriting.

He took most of the 1980s off and his 90s solo work seemed permanently scared by the death of long-time running mate Mick Ronson - invariably high quality but generally more comfortable when sounding sour notes rather than power chords.

And so he returns to his first love on his 20th solo studio album When I'm President - down home rhythm & blues rules the day. Tracks like Wild Bunch, I Don't Know What You Want and What For hark back to pub rock, while album opener Comfortable (Flyin' Scotsman) offers a proud reminder of Mott's glory days with a sax-driven outro that fondly recalls The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll.

So far, so comfortable, but the moment of revelation comes with Ta Shunka Witco (Crazy Horse), an atmospheric tribal chant conjured in praise of the Sioux chief. Hunter has no need to pull a stunt like this - he's a 73-year-old songwriter with a proud history and plenty to say about the modern world as well - he has no need for musical grandstanding. That he pulls it off with such confidence is testament to the man's continuing artistic potency.

However, the real strength of When I'm President lies in its more confessional moments. Fatally Flawed finds Hunter in poetic mood, coming to terms with his own shortcomings, while Black Tears and the record's closing track Life remind us he always had a way with a story song - for all the glitter, there was always something of the balladeer about prime Hunter.

You want authentic? Step right this way…

Nick Churchill
www.thegranvillechambers.co.uk