Graham Coxon - Happiness In Magazines

Two of the best singles of the year so far isn’t a bad way to promote your new album. Sure, nobody really batted an eyelid at the previous four, but with ‘Hapiness in Magazines’, Graham Coxon is about to wake up the neighbourhood.

It’s not often you get an album that feels so fantastically accomplished, and it’s all in the recording process. Stephen Street’s production has managed to tone down the sketchy nature of Coxon’s previous work, yet the amps are still all the way up to 11 and with string sections being roped in it’s as eclectic. From the gut busting opener ‘Spectacular’ to the heartbreaking ‘Ribbons And Leaves’ it takes real skill to keep something quite so diverse this cohesive. Blues tinged rock that would make Jack White green with envy (‘Girl Done Gone’) sits next to the guitar pop of ‘Bittersweet Bundle of Misery’ and doesn’t even start to sound out of place. That’s without even daring to mention ‘People of the Earth’ - not only probably the best song you’ll hear this year, but also one thats impossible to do justice with words.

It’s not totally perfect, ‘Are You Ready’ sits in the shadow of fellow string laden effort ‘All Over Me’ just a bit too much, but you’d do well to find another album that hits the mark so consistently throughout. While you might find something else to idly listen to in a few weeks, it’ll still be this thats playing in your head, and that’s what true classics are all about.