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 son Yoriyos being a major creative influence on the album.

Longer Boats has undergone perhaps the biggest facelift, with a guest spot from rapper Brother Ali and ending in a funk breakdown, and Wild World is heavily embellished with Eastern instrumentation.

The album still sounds fresh today and environmental anthem Where Do The Children Play? remains 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.

Fresh from being made an MBE for services to music, Roachford, now 55, is on tip-top form.

These 13 new tracks ooze Motown glamour and show off a production style that suits his silken, powerful voice, while the addition of a brass section is an unexpected delight.

A welcome collection from one of British music’s enduring figures.

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 doesn’t even exist. I would never have imagined that, in 2020, this album title would take on a whole new meaning.”

Urban’s collaboration with Pink on One Too Many is stunning, while other collaborators on the album include Breland, Nile Rodgers and Eric Church. Tracks like Superman, Forever and Say Something are affectionately catchy.

There’s no absence of heart throughout this entire repertoire.