SOUND JUDGEMENT

THE LATEST ALBUM RELEASES RATED AND REVIEWED

TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN 2 YUSUF/CAT STEVENS

THE folk veteran marks the 50th anniversary of his classic album with a full re-recording.

The cover art sets the tone, a night-time version of the original with the Tillerman in a spacesuit and the children alongside him glued to smartphones.

Emblematic of the project is the reworked Father And Son, with modern-day Yusuf singing the Father’s vocals and those of the Son taken from a 1970s live recording – Yusuf’s own son Yoriyos.

While Yusuf is inevitably harking back to his early days, the album still sounds fresh, with environmental anthem Where Do The Children Play? distressingly relevant.

TWICE IN A LIFETIME ROACHFORD

ANDREW Roachford’s latest solo album comes after a seven-year hiatus. That’s not to say the British pop singer, best known for his 1988 top five hit Cuddly Toy, has been resting on his laurels. Since then, Roachford has executed a surprising but rewarding move to Mike And The Mechanics.

The 55-year-old is on tip-top form here. These 13 new tracks ooze Motown glamour and show off a production style that suits his silken, powerful voice.

THE SPEED OF NOW PART 1 KEITH URBAN

THE title of Keith Urban’s 12th studio album could not be more apt for this year, despite being conceived in October 2019. The singer explains: “I liked it because I felt like life was flying by so fast. But music (for me) has always been the place where it slows down.”

And despite this period of isolation, the album finds Urban surrounded by friends. Collaborators on the album include Pink, Breland, Nile Rodgers and Eric Church.

Tracks like Superman, Forever and Say Something are immediately catchy, but this is not just shallow pop, there’s no absence of heart throughout an album that sees Urban at the top of his game.