Ray Davies

| Americana

This new release sees Davies clearly enjoying himself with a new set of songs recorded with Gary Louris and the Jayhawks as backing band. The title references his own 2013 memoir of the same name and his lifelong fascination for Americana, perhaps an irony for one of the grandfathers of Britpop, and there are spoken word sections from the book, along with tantalisingly small moments of Kinkiness—the intro of Mystery Room, the tongue-in-cheek quotes and chords on The Man Upstairs, and the subsequent Heard That Beat Before, a highlight delivered in a Randy Newman drawl. But for the most part he keeps an honest clarity to his vocal treatment, aging warbles and all, soft and low, still with his trademark twinkle of humour. This relaxed delivery stops short of creating a career-capping masterpiece, but it shows a new side to the man and his music.