Paul Heaton
The Mighty Several
Release Date: Oct 11, 2024
Genre(s): Pop/Rock
Record label: EMI
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Album Review: The Mighty Several by Paul Heaton
Excellent, Based on 2 Critics
Based on rating 4
Former Housemartins and Beautiful South man returns with pen-portraits of northern England delivered with sardonic, dry humour His career spans over 30 years, but it’s only relatively recently that Paul Heaton seems to be getting the respect he deserves. Despite his stints in both The Housemartins and The Beautiful South, and his long partnership with Jacqui Abbott, there seemed to be an air of surprise at his reception at Glastonbury this year. Has Paul Heaton eventually gained ‘national treasure’ status? It’s a phrase that the opening track of The Mighty Several uses, but Heaton is far too modest to describe himself as a national treasure.
Opinion: Excellent
Giving the title National Treasure to the opening track of your album, when other people - not unreasonably - keep bestowing that title upon you, indicates a certain wry self-awareness. However, it's not all about Paul Heaton. Not that The Mighty Several doesn't have its autobiographical moments. It's just more interested in casting an eye over the awfulness (Stop The Boats bigots) and excellence (unsung care workers, attentive friends) of the British public.
'The Mighty Several'
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