Album Review: Teddy Thompson – Heartbreaker Please (Chalky Records/Thirty Tigers)

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Richard and Linda Thompson were a dream musical pairing. Extraordinary voice and extremely gifted guitarist. Folk music royalty. Sufi’s of London again. If they were to have a baby, he would sound like… Teddy Thompson.

He has appeared on a number of his Father’s records. Helped his Mother with a comeback. Played all together as a family. Went to New York City as a young adult and that’s where he found his own path.

In interviews, has said he was immersed in the sounds of Sam Cooke, Everly Brothers, Chuck Berry and Hank Williams growing up.

Listening to his seventh studio album, and goddammit he sounds pretty much like the young Dion. Clear tenor which can glide up effortlessly. You could swap out Marlon Williams from that cameo on A Star Is Born and put Teddy in.

Title track Heartbreaker Please starts with an electronic drum beat, but then kicks in with a strong vocal which soars on the chorus. Father Richard adds a signature guitar part. A song of love lost but uplifting, and a highlight of the album.

Several of the songs are slow in tempo. Regret and remorse.

Brand New has drums and piano to the fore, and a slightly more tortured vocal on a slow tune which reminds me of Jeff Buckley.

No Idea is even more remorseful and doomy but with a pretty folk vocal. Therapy is helping but I still feel mostly sad.

At a Light is pop with some Spanish horns, and has a classic era Drifters signature to it. This one may not be so successful as the vocals don’t quite make it.

Then there are a brace of tunes with a Country Soul sound. It’s Not Easy has an Everly Brothers atmosphere. Move at Speed includes some nice keyboard colouring on a Country vehicle. The opener Why Wait and Record Player marries Country with Stax sounding horns.

The core band members on this album. Al Street electric guitar. Eric Finland keyboards. Jeff Hill bass guitar. Zach Jones drums.

The production throughout has a lightness of touch, and resists cluttering and overplaying. So the resulting album highlights the well-crafted nature of the songs and most particularly the Voice. Smoother than Father and can approach the crystal soulfulness of Mother.

Rev Orange Peel       

     

Rev Orange Peel
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