LustrePiano Wolf  *  *  *

Having to explain away his well-to-do background (son of a British army officer, blood ties to Baron Ridley of Liddelsdale) for fear of not being taken seriously, London-born Harcourt has nonetheless steered a steely course as a bona fide contender. Major label hopes were dashed along the way. (He lurked around the corridors of EMI for several years, to the point where it released, in 2007, a superfluous Best Of album called Until Tomorrow Then.)

So Harcourt embarked on what seemed to be a rewarding career as a songwriter and collaborator for hire; his latest mission is next month's album from hotly tipped The Boy Who Tapped the Sun. The birth of his daughter, however, made Harcourt write far more personal material, and Lustrepositively glows with the resonances of deep emotions amid often glorious pop tunes. From the title track opener to the closing Fears of a Father, this is crafted, skilled and impeccably attired adult pop. See edharcourt.com

Download tracks: Lustre, Heart of a Wolf, Fears of a Father