For anyone who’s ever felt alienated from the music on The Philebrity Player, this one’s for you. Richard Hawley’s Lady’s Bridge may well be the easiest-listening selection we’ve ever presented, but in some ways, Hawley is nearest and dearest to our hearts; he’s possibly the biggest romantic currently alive and making music. Hawley hails from Sheffield, UK, and his pedigree includes a long string of Britpop involvement (most notably, with Pulp, and to this day he accompanies Jarvis Cocker), but his solo musical reference points go something like this: Johnny Mathis, Johnny Cash and just about any other tall, dark Johnny you’d care to mention. Lady’s Bridge is his fourth album — it follows the exquisite Coles Corner, which you should acquire as soon as possible — and it is a record of deep autumnal grace. It’s badass in the same way crooner music is in Scorsese movies, but it’s also wounded. It is grand, and it is small. Your grandfather would love it, while at the same time it could send you into a rockabilly spiral from which no Betty Page haircut could ever redeeem you. It’s cinematic and it’s real. It’s all we’ve been listening to for weeks. And now, we hand it over to you. Be kind to this Richard Hawley. He’s a classic.
Click here to listen to Richard Hawley on The Philebrity Player!
Plus: YouTube: Richard Hawley, “Serious”
Richard Hawley plays the World Cafe Live on Sunday, December 2, at 7:30pm.
Previously On The Philebrity Player: Park The Van 2007/2008 Sampler

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 27th, 2007 at 6:52 pm.