The Beat Surrender

Paul Heaton returns with his debut solo album following the break up of The Beautiful South, although I was under the impression that his Biscuit Boy album was a solo record…just goes to show what I know doesn’t it!

The Cross Eyed Rambler is the best thing he’s been involved in for a number of years, far better than any of the last three Beautiful South albums, it has a freshness to the writing and wry observations, along with a stripped back musical sound that harks back to his glory days with The Housemartins.

Paul Heaton is a guy that has a knack of picking up on the little intricasies in life, the strange quirks and the British charachter and shaping them into wonderfully warm songs that always come across as empathetic rather than mocking.

He has the odd pop moment on here too where he nails these songs to a great tune, tracks like Mermaids And Slaves, A Good Old Fashioned Town and The Pub being particular favourites of mine.