From 1980s indie obscurity with Treebound Story, to Britpop B-Listers Longpigs, via a brief spell in Pulp, and on to a solo career spanning 10 albums over 24 years, it’s been quite a ride for Richard Hawley.
Having indie/pop luminaries such as Guy Garvey, Jarvis Cocker and Paul Weller in your corner, together with a highly positive music media is never going to be a bad thing but mainstream ‘success’ has eluded Hawley. He’s never really troubled the scorers, slipping beneath the radar with album release after album release despite producing, in my mind, some of the greatest pop music of this century. At the 2006 Mercury Awards, when Hawley’s critically acclaimed fourth album, Coles Corner, failed to win the coveted award, Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys), stepped up to receive the award and began his acceptance speech with the words, ‘Someone call 999; Richard Hawley’s been robbed!’
The music is simple and melodic (most of the time) with a tinge of country which always stays on the right side of the state line. The lyrics are thoughtful, intelligent, witty and often confessional. The overall effect is magnificent but it’s Hawley’s voice that really makes you sit up and take notice. There’s something wonderfully old-fashioned about it; he’s a crooner for the 21st century…
With a tenth album out this week there was no shortage of material to choose for the playlist. In fact, for the first time this year, I had to cheat and choose an eighth track. And even then I feel that I’ve left several tracks sitting on the bench that probably should have made the starting lineup. Hawley’s an avid Sheffield Wednesday fan, so the analogy might seem a bit off kilter, but Richard Hawley truly is the Real Madrid of indie pop.
Enjoy…
The 'Spill 