The incomparable Richard Hawley, singer, songwriter, and guitarist has packed an awful lot in since the release of his last studio album, Further in 2019. That same year, a musical featuring songs penned by Hawley and named after his 2012 album Standing at the Sky’s Edge opened at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.
The show attracted rave reviews for its realistic depiction of complex social and political issues experienced by three families who occupy a particular flat at different periods over six decades. Following sell-out runs, the show moved to London’s National Theatre and began a six-month run at London’s West End Gillian Lynne Theatre in February this year. The show collected two Olivier Awards in 2023 – Best New Musical and for Hawley himself, Best Original Score.
In June 2023, Hawley collaborated with film director Wes Anderson, along with friend Jarvis Cocker on Anderson’s film “Asteroid City”. The song was “Dear Alien (Who Art In Heaven)” and it was shortlisted for Best Original Song for this year’s Oscars.
This was followed by five acclaimed shows in September 2023 when Hawley, on guitar joined singer/songwriter John Grant and played tribute to Patsy Cline by performing her repertoire of classic songs. In October 2023, Hawley put together a collection of his songs, along with his long-term collaborator, Colin Elliot – Now Then: The Very Best of Richard Hawley. It’s a good place to start if you are unfamiliar with Hawley’s impressive back catalogue.
You can’t put Hawley’s music into a genre or category. He has it all going on with ballads, rockabilly, country and blues. This is what makes him special. His music sounds like the sort of thing your parents or even grandparents would listen to – it’s sentimental and timeless. But it’s also these very qualities that make Hawley different and compelling.
Hawley has been successfully putting out brilliant songs for 25 years and his latest record In this City They Call You Love is his 10th solo studio album and is dedicated to Hawley’s childhood friend and ex-Pulp bandmate, Stephen Mackey, who passed away last year.
The album has a rousing start with lead single, “Two For His Heels” (a reference to the card game, Cribbage) with a more ominous undertone to the back story then a simple card game as Hawley sings with a mix of menace and broodiness: “Got to get myself on the top of that hill/Her Daddy got drunk and he wanted to kill/If she don’t love me, then nobody will/It’s one for the Jacks and two for his heels”. It’s an atmospheric low blues rumble with a rasp of distorted guitar heralding a brooding, looping riff of a Bajo sexto. This song evokes Arctic Monkeys vibes which is not surprising as frontman, Alex Turner has made no secret of his admiration for Hawley’s music.
“Have Love” opens with spangled guitar notes to a gentle “La Bamba” beat. It’s reminiscent of an Elvis Presley number in one of his films (remember those swinging hips, finger clicks and lopsided smile for the girls?) but with a more contemporary feel.
The third song, and second single release, is a stunner and an album highlight. “Prism In Jeans“ is ‘50s up-tempo goodness with chiming guitar beats and Hawley’s velvety vocal. The strings add further sweetness and it’s wonderfully nostalgic. “Prism in Jeans” is vintage Hawley. It’s such a gorgeous song evoking his great love and inspiration for transatlantic rock and roll.
“Heavy Rain” takes the pace down a little and is heavenly in its simplicity. Hawley’s intention for this album was to put the focus more on his voice, to give it prominence and to strip back the guitars. This song reveals his vocals as pure gold. His rich and baritone vocal is like the sweetest honey, overflowing with warmth and emotion. This is a lament of lost love. “Heavy Rain” is a metaphor for his sadness and his lyrics are tender word loops: “In my dreams, I tell you that/I always dream about you in my dreams “and then in the second verse: “Here is where I always know, that knowing here is where I’m meant to be”. When the strings come in at the second verse, the effect is so touching. It’s a lovely, orchestrated ballad with space created for mesmerising guitar notes that add to the melancholy.
“People” is a sparse, sentimental tribute to his hometown with nods to the steelworks (where his father once worked), its hardy residents and its rivers and is the most stripped-back track on the album – just Hawley and a guitar. The song also provides the title of the album in its chorus: “Well I was born and raised by the river/Slowly it flows through the city of knives/Not too far from the mountain that shivers/Folks work so hard and they stay all their lives/ And people in this city call us love/And people in this city, call you love.“
Nearly all of Hawley’s albums have been named after areas of Sheffield, the city that made him. The city he loves. “Lady’s Bridge” is the oldest bridge across the river Don in the city, for instance, whilst “Truelove’s Gutter” is the old name for Castle Street. “Sky Edge”, a residential area high above the city, gives its name to his most psychedelic album to date. The city is never far from his thoughts and music and here it is celebrated in the track “People”.
“Hear That Lonesome Whistle Blow” is a classic Country song. This could’ve been a recording made by any of the big Country and Western heavyweights. Listening to this is like leaping back to another time, evoking visions of smoky Western saloons filled with men in cowboy boots drinking whiskey in glass tumblers. Hawley’s warbling, wistful vocal is perfectly in harmony with dusty guitars and twanging key changes.
The next two songs sit side by side on the record and are connected by the word “deep” but are very different to each other, both in sound and subject. “Deep Space” is up first and is the rockiest song on the album with thunderous musical arrangements. It’s about understanding the need to escape the madness of this world sometimes, now more than ever, whilst “Deep Waters” explores Gospel territory with its backing vocals. Hawley’s voice is again front and centre of this, calm and soothing with simple instrumentation.
“It’s time that I was going down the river/ It’s time that I was drifting out to sea/It’s time that I should go where I’m forgiven/ It’s time that I be all that I can be/ It’s time that I be all that I should be”. Maybe, in contrast to wanting to get away from everything in “Deep Space”, Hawley finds himself accepting where he is at this point in life and at peace with who he is.
“I’ll Never Get Over You” is a gentle ballad of heartbreak and devotion with Hawley’s voice beautifully vulnerable: “Old trees are leaves of today/ This train takes me all the way/I’ll never get over you” whilst richly textured guitars serve as mournful musical companions.
“Do I Really Need to Know” is a change of musical direction with a smooth, lounge music rhythm, “harp-like” string percussion sounds and soulful repeats of the chorus by backing vocalists who consist of long-time bandmate Shez Sheridan and Jarvis Cocker. It’s a song about a man missing his ex-love and kidding himself that he is no longer interested: “And when, the clock, strikes ten, again/I walk to a bar and drink/And drink and drink again/ So deep, ‘til it works/ I’m lost in your world” I like the way the lyrics match the light samba rhythms and it’s such a well-crafted song with its instrumentation, especially Hawley’s bossa nova-style guitar solo at the bridge.
Talking of the guitars, Hawley played nearly all the solos on three guitars: his father’s old Gretsch and two Telecasters, one bequeathed to him by the late Scott Walker, the other a gift from his friend, Duane Eddy who recently passed away. “The album most definitely is a family affair,” says Hawley.
“When The Lights Go Out” is dreamy and thoughtful with strums of glistening guitar offering a Mexican/country influence in harmony with Hawley’s heartfelt vocal. There’s something very human and meditative about this track and I think it’s one of those songs where the meaning will be different for everyone. I think it’s about being brave when you’re left alone and trusting that in the darkest times, everything will work out ok. “You don’t haunt me anymore/Your Holy Ghost won’t cry when round my door/When the lights go out/True love don’t make a sound/ There you go/There you go”
Hawley saves the best song for last. “’Tis Night” is an absolute gem and a perfect album closer. It’s gentle, reflective, and deeply moving. It’s one of those songs you want to listen to alongside the one you love, late at night, holding hands: “Soon it’ll be over/the time we start will start again/Soon we’ll both be a little older and wiser/ Oh, I don’t think so”.
When the strings arrive, they add poignancy and sadness. I felt so moved at this bit, about everything: the brief passing of time, the yearning for more time. The song instils many emotions. It’s a soothing serenade with Hawley closing the song with tenderness in his voice: “Tis Night/ Tis Night/ Be Still/ Be Still/ Tis Night” – as if to say, “Just enjoy the moment – it’s what we have right now.”
In This City They Call You Love does not disappoint. 12 outstanding songs which are amongst the finest ballads Hawley has ever written and recorded. This album is a splendid addition to Hawley’s other work. Hawley’s music has always appeared out of time with current mainstream trends but more than ever feels like a breath of fresh air. He is sounding better than ever.
With current times where people are feeling angry or hopeless – particularly now, on the brink of political change, this is an album to escape to and relive memories of people or places. It’s nostalgic, emotive and inherently romantic. Richard Hawley is one of the most extraordinary artists of his generation. By his own admission, he refuses to change to fit in, which makes him refreshing and authentic.
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