Gilbert O’Sullivan’s 19th album is his best
Gilbert O’Sullivan is still himself — reflective, sensitive and witty — on his 19th studio album, which often sounds like his 1971 debut, maybe even better.
If you haven’t noticed any of O’Sullivan’s new music over the past, oh, 40 years or so, you may think this is a comeback of sorts. In truth, the Ireland-born, England-raised O’Sullivan has been releasing records at what now counts as a fairly regular pace (every three or four years) for decades, with blessedly few detours into synthesizers and electronic drums.
Under the guidance of producer Ethan Johns (Paul McCartney, Laura Marling, Tom Jones), O’Sullivan achieves a sound here that’s more straightforward but also richer, with Stephanie
Jean’s Hammond organ and Fender Rhodes, Paul Stacey’s electric guitar, twin brother Jeremy Stacey’s drums and Nick Pini’s bass seamlessly enhancing his acoustic piano.
There are plenty of highlights among the ballads, midtempo pop songs and even some fasterpaced tunes, with most giving a clear idea of what they’re about: “Love How You Leave Me,” “I’ll Never Love Again,” “The Same The Whole World Over.”
The sprightly “The Mind Boggles,” in a Monty Python vein, and “Dansette Dreams And 45’s,” with an elegant string arrangement, could be a crusty curmudgeon’s manifestos about driverless cars, youngsters’ cellphone dependency and the current U.S. leader.
Like with his old hits “Alone Again (Naturally),” “Get Down” or “What’s In A Kiss,” O’Sullivan is again back at the top of his game.