Albums

Richard Hawley - Coles Corner

Liam McGrady 03/08/2005

Rating: 4/5

The opening sweep of strings on 'Coles Corner' goes straight for the heart. And then Hawley's Scott Walker-esque croon comes in and steals it. This is Sunday morning - with a cup of coffee and not a care in the world - music. It swings and it sashay's. Sure it may be as old fashioned and uncool as a bag of Werthers Originals in the hands of the lead singer of Keane, but like the creamy sweets, there's something comforting about this record. On top of the Sinatra-like Waltz tunes there are Rockabilly jigs and best of all, massive, brooding, windswept pieces of orchestration like 'The Ocean', which is the most beautiful song of the year. A wandering talisman musician up until a few years ago, Hawley has finally found his niche.