It’s a pleasure to welcome back to the music world the songwriter behind the brilliantly colourful 90s four piece The Boo Radleys. The band split at the end of the 90s after their final album (and my favourite) ‘Kingsize’, and Martin Carr returned a short while later as Bravecaptain, and despite his dazzling talent for writing pop gems, seemed more at ease making music for a non-mainstream audience. The first release ‘The Fingertip Saint Sessions Vol 1’ is particularly recommended. He’s also released a couple of albums under his own name, finally feeling like he’s able to step out of the shadow. ‘The Breaks’ is his first LP in five years, and opens with this glorious helping of Stax-flavoured dream-soul.
“A theme running through my work is not fitting in,” says Carr. “Whether it was at school, work, in a band and even now, a 46-year-old with two small children – I always feel slightly alienated from the process. I think everybody knows what’s going on except me.” There’s more intimacy throughout this record, which allows the listener a deeper insight into Carr’s life and a swim through his headspace. By the end of ‘The Breaks’, we’ve learned a lot more about this man and feel like we’re finally a little bit closer to actually knowing him. And any album that features the line “If Jesus ran a chip shop all our fish would be free” has to be worth checking out doesn’t it? The album is out via Tapete Records on September 29.
