Simon RushworthQuireboys — Wardour Street (Cadiz Music)
The familiar tinkle of well-worn ivories.
Heartwarming harmonica pacing an upbeat intro.
A bluesy rock and roll riff kicking the hoochie coochie groove into gear.
And then that trademark, throaty rasp.
Wardour Street’s reassuringly raucous opener, Jeez Louise, is classic Quireboys.
The essence of a brilliant band, bottled.
Enough’s been said about Spike’s fallout with his former colleagues.
But with signs of a long overdue thaw comes a red hot response.
It helps that Luke Morley’s at the helm: adding his six-string prowess and producing the whole shebang.
The god of Thunder has somehow captured that early 90s swagger and, at the same time, swept away any last vestiges of a lazy malaise.
Because, let’s face it, after what Spike’s been through in the last few years, the spark could have been well and truly extinguished.
Wardour Street might have been a shabby rip-off of former glories.
Nothing more than a lame play for sympathy, lacking any kind of class or conviction.
It’s the exact opposite.
The barnstorming, sax-infused blues of Like It Or Not says it best: Wardour Street’s bullish penultimate track is the sound of a reborn singer readying himself for another tilt at glory.
Not since the band’s dizzying 1990 debut have Quireboys sounded quite so compelling.
Rootsy? Hell yeah! Raw. You bet. Relevant? Never more so.
Wardour Street’s a wonderful walk down memory lane.
Miller time sets the tone
When Frankie Miller pops up on Raining Whiskey a joyous sense of fulfilment washes over Wardour Street.
Spike’s long been the proud custodian of the Scottish singer songwriter’s rich back catalogue.
And here — thanks to the wonders of modern technology — the pair craft something that’s akin to The Faces jamming with The Temperance Movement.
Still seeking the best Quireboys single since There She Goes Again?
Skip to current release I Think I Got It Wong Again — a glorious example of Spike at his self-effacing, amiable, endearing best.
No need to dwell any longer on Like Ir Or Not or No Honour Amongst Thieves — anyone who’s followed a very public soap opera will understand.
You And I and It Ain’t Over Now follow in the fine tradition of affect ting Quireboys ballads stretching all the way back to I Don’t Love You Anymore — the best of the best.
And then there’s the terrific title track.
The sleepy sax and fluffy fretwork bounce off a stripped back vocal to create a jazzy backdrop to the dreamy set closer.
Spike’s well and truly out of his comfort zone but, at the same time, back to where it all started.
Wardour Street represents the bricks and mortar of a national treasure. He should be very proud.
