Dedicated to his ‘mentor and friend’, Chris Rea, this album is a respectful homage to the much-loved and much-missed Middlesbrough maestro. Perhaps driven by that huge respect, and having immersed himself in Rea’s music during his hugely successful ‘Rea-imagined’ tour, Paul Casey has delivered the best work of his career.
There are wonderful, reverential musical motifs and clever nods to Rea’s influence throughout, with that beautifully shimmering slide guitar work particularly evident on the addictive ‘I Love the Night’, and on my current favourite track, ‘Ride On’.
But there’s so much more to admire here in terms of Paul’s own personality, character and musical depth.
‘Far Across the Sea’ is a classic ballad about the distance between lovers and the ache of long-distance longing, elevated further by a superb uilleann pipe solo from Paul Cutliff.
‘Blow Away the Clouds’ is a little gem from Paul’s past catalogue, polished and sent into the world afresh. It’s a song Paul remembers Chris Rea singing when he was part of his touring band, and stated he wished he had written the lyrics himself
High praise indeed.
“I wish I could blow away the clouds, and leave it all behind, and live under the sun, with you forever.”
There’s a timeless quality to the song that glides along, with gossamer-light backing vocals from Lauren Doherty; this track is almost worth the price of the album on its own.
There are high points aplenty. ‘Love Is a Lonely Game’, with Dan Millar supplying additional muscle on guitar, is another standout.
Paul surrounds himself with a stellar cast of musicians, including fellow Chris Rea bandmate Eoghan O’Neill on bass, the ever-reliable Liam Bradley on drums, and the ubiquitous and versatile John McCullough on keyboards.
There’s so much to enjoy on this album, from the ‘arm out the window’ driving tunes to the leisurely, languid guitar lines of the lush ballads. It’s an album that rewards repeated listens, and one that deserves to be a keeper.
File under: Quality!