Album Review: Deacon Blue – The Great Western Road
2 min read
Late 80s icons Deacon Blue have had a creative resurgence over the last 15 years. Nearly 40 years on from their explosive debut Raintown, with hits like Dignity and Chocolate Girl, the group took a break in the early 2000s, only to return in 2012 with a string of revitalised and under-appreciated albums. Now, the next in line has arrived, and proves to be another hit in a long line of great material.
Opener and title track The Great Western Road begins with a lavish piano and vocalist Ricky Ross singing alone before being joined as the instruments build by Lorraine McIntosh. The slow burn ballad is a gorgeous introduction, featuring all the elements that are to follow and settling listeners in. Late ’88 is a danceable slice of string-led pop, complete with funk-esc guitars and a singalong bridge, while People Come First continues the momentum but takes a more laidback its delivery. The guitars have echos of U2, but the bass and drum grooves are undeniably funk. Wait on Me’s picked guitar and electric keyboard convey an immediate warmth that matches the sentiment of the song of following your heart. The organ solo in the bridge is a lovely touch, as is the refrain being matched by both vocal lines.
Ashore brings back the intensity with fast strummed acoustic, and a breathy backing reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac’s Big Love. Once the drums kick in, it becomes a foot-stomping epic. Underneath the Stars is another great mid-tempo ballad, while Up Hope brings the up tempo strings and piano back for a quick and uncompromising travel tune. Turn Up Your Radio! continues the sound, a tight and concise pop song with a catchy chorus and passionate performance all round. It even manages a smooth key change towards the end. How We Remember It comes as a late album highlight, acting as a nostalgia trip lyrically comparing a travelling circus to life itself, but also wrapping the listener in a gentle mix of piano and strings. The final three tracks act as a come down, slowing down one by one until final track If I Lived on My Own’s arrangement of lone piano and vocal with subtle cello takes things home, quite literally.
The Great Western Road doesn’t rewrite the history of pop music, but it acts as a masterclass in classy instrumentation and great songwriting. The group sound as tight and at times as energetic as they ever have, but it’s the ballads that really shine on this record. As a collection, it’s another win for a band that has continued to wow for the entirety of their career.
Writer and Musician, Ryan Bulbeck has been published with a number of online publications, and has worked with a myriad of great artists, both as a performer, and as a producer. His most recent band The 295 are still active, playing shows around the UK.
