Richard Hawley
Lady's Bridge
Mute/EMI

My parents came visiting last weekend, and they enjoyed Lady's Bridge. It's not often me and my parents share the same musical taste, believe me. Maybe Lady's Bridge is the ideal music for grandparents? Maybe I'm too young?

Richard Hawley seems to be a good bloke, a kind and friendly person. The ex-Longpig and ex-Pulp-guitarist has become a household name over the last couple of years. At least in a lot of houses in UK, as well as here in little Norway. Lady's Bridge is his 5th album since the self-titled debut in 2000, but it was the last album, the acclaimed and award nominated Coles Corner (2005), that gave him a commercial breakthrough. I haven't heard much from that one. My favourite is his second, the marvellous Late Night Final (2002), which I've played a massive amount of rounds. So, what about the new one then?

Hawley plays old-fashioned rock. 1950s and 1960s styled straight rock, and rockabilly related stuff. Imagine Elvis singing Roy Orbison's songs. Many of his songs have got this warm glow, and words to describe his music can be: elegance, grace, honesty, politeness. Yet, this time I feel that I listen to recycled songs. It's like Hawley is sort of repeating himself. And maybe it's become too polite. Not that the songs are bad. They just don't get to me. At least not in the same way as Late Night Final did.

Copyright © 2007 Håvard Oppøyen