An album that could easily have landed up in my end of year Top 50, but it came to my attention too late; Amy Rigby's The Old Guys, a ruminative but rocking set of songs that deserves greater attention all round than it's probably likely to get. Rigby, who hails from Pittsburgh has some pedigree. The former wife of dB's drummer Will Rigby and making records in various guises since she was a member of The Last Roundup and The Shams in the Eighties, The Old Guys surely ranks among the best things she's ever done.
With a set of songs that vacillate between Country, Stiff Records New Wave, Power Pop and late Sixties and early Seventies Singer Songwriting, it's a sparkling set. At once sadly nostalgic but also wry with all the wisdom that middle age bestows. The Stiff Records comparison is almost inevitable given that Rigby is the long time partner of Wreckless Eric, one of the leading lights of that label's early days. The Old Guys has echoes of his best stuff but also minded me of Elvis Costello and Kirsty McColl of the same school. She very much belongs in this fine company.
Opening up with some of the best song lyrics you're likely to hear this year imagining a letter from Philip Roth to Bob Dylan upon the latter winning the Nobel Prize, each track brings something new to the party. Musing on her heroes' inspirational spark as Patti Smith has always done as they add fuel and fan her own creative fire. Lyrically, her songs are constantly interesting, by turns funny and sweet and Rigby has a melodic gift to match her way with words. Altogether wonderful!
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