Album: Boo Hewerdine – God Bless the Pretty Things

Firmly grounded in folk and country, with harmonies that would be perfectly at home on a porch swing in the deep south, Boo Hewerdine’s latest album is a sweet stroll through life, love and the like.  That said, this dude doesn’t sit comfortably in a musical box.  He’s a wanderer when it comes to musical styles, and that makes for an album of kaleidoscopic shade and tone.

20-odd years in the business have furnished Hewerdine with the full caboodle of expertise – the simplest of lyrics intertwine with delicate finger picking and the relaxed refrain of a harmonica on tracks like opener ‘Geography’, describing various journeys and separations with the help of harmonies from the delicately-voiced Heidi Talbot.

‘Paris After the War’ tells a story of love shattered by war through lilting accordion melodies, ‘Silver Wings’ takes us on a bluesy, hopeful stroll through the clouds, and ‘You and Me’ is the loveliest of lovesongs – lemons, blue skies and broken glass combine to conjure the tenderest vision of a relationship.

God Bless the Pretty Things is due for release on 26th October, and Boo’ll be touring all over our fair isles in October and November.  See his MySpace for full details.

Words: Helen True