Dave Cousins - The Boy In The Sailor Suit

Mature preserves from Strawbs mainman

Amazingly, it’s taken Dave Cousins 35 years to get round to recording his second solo album. Miller Anderson, who played guitar on the first, Two Weeks Last Summer, is on hand again, while Strawbs bassist Chas Cronk also contributes. You would expect similarities to the music of Cousins’ band, but the subject matter here is noticeably more personal than even that. It’s backed up by a booklet strewn with memorabilia relating to the songs, but no explicit explanation of the whys and wherefores. Musically, steel guitar and violin elements distance this from the Strawbs sound Cousins was so involved in creating, though songs such as Wish You Were Here have a deliberately nostalgic 40s flavour he’s used before. The world-weary voice is also too distinctive to disguise. Interestingly, producer Chris Tsangarides is more associated with the likes of Judas Priest and Gary Moore, but only on Mother Luck does Cousins threaten to rock out. The closing Hell Fire Blues (a very untypical musical form for him) gives Miller Anderson room to stretch out, while Lonely Days Lonely Nights is a co-write with sometime duo partner Conny Conrad. A thought provoking and personal release that deserves to reach further than the hardcore Strawbs following.

Witchwood | WMCD 2040

Reviewed by Michael Heatley
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