The new Strawbs album and, as a huge fan of the band, I am hugely disappointed with this one, especially after last year's 'Broken Hearted Bride' which was a truly superb album.
This one is too much like Strawbs pastiche and the songwriting, usually a Strawbs strength, is consistently weak throughout. Its not helped by dire production, but its all rather low gear and lacking in the distinctiveness that has always made them a great band. Long-time keyboard player John Hawken has retired and been replaced by Oliver Wakeman (son of Rick) and I'm not impressed.
Even the one song that isn't new on here, a re-cooking of 'Oh How She Changed', is turned into a dirge which doesn't come close to the original 1960s version or the acoustic version recorded on the recent Acoustic Strawbs album 'Painted Sky'.
Not one I'll be listening to very often.