A new Richard Thompson recording is always an event – though paradoxically there must be something routine about it as Still is the 66-year-old British guitarist's 40th album.
But the fact that it is produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy makes it a very tasty prospect. And it doesn’t disappoint. Tweedy’s influence is quite subtle though the sound is meatier.
Thompson’s songs remain rooted in British folk and rock though he has long been a US resident.
The themes are also mostly familiar – love’s bitter harvest, sleaze, lust and his anger at political hypocrisy.
Though there is little that will surprise long-time listeners there is much that will delight them.
She Could Never Resist A Winding Road echoes his classic Beeswing, while Broken Doll and Josephine tick the ballad box.