The Wrong Sunshine

Description

Nearly 10 years since his last album, Ray Hearne, the sharp-tongued troubadour, is back, pointing the finger, with a stunning collection of new songs. Ray Hearne is no ordinary songwriter. He relishes language, rolls it around his tongue and unleashes a jubilant jumble of images, words, rhymes and couplets all fighting for space in his songs. Who else could sing words like ‘prestidigitate’, ‘fettler’ and ‘runaroundabout town lad’ and make it sound like the angels came to Wath-on-Dearne? The songs tackle all the usual heavyweight themes – war, loss, childhood, self-advocacy and crane-driving. And what a voice. A resonant sound that matches the richness of his songs. The arrangements are sublime too. Instrumentation is subtle – often just guitars - and backing vocals add poignancy and depth to the words. Pretty much everyone from No Masters makes an appearance on this fine album – Coope, Boyes and Simpson make their inimitable mark, there’s some Chumbawamba harmonies in there, and fittingly, the entire co-operative gets to Point The Finger At The Emperor. If you like your songs rich in rhyme, meaning and melody, The Wrong Sunshine is for you. Tracks; Manvers Island Bound / The Long Song Line / Baghdad-on-Dearne / Song For David / The Melting Shop Chaps / The Navvy Boys / Things To Say / March of the Daffodils / Pudding Burner / Young and Easy / Point the Finger at the Emperor / Well I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings / Fields of Foggy Dew / The Collier’s Elegy