Staff Reviews

Ed Harcourt - Lustre

Review by Amanda Farah

He is as in touch with his emotions as ever, but has learned to temper his darker sentiments with more light-hearted compositions. It allows him to convey his confidences and doubts, loves and longings with a respectable sincerity, rather than feeling like he’s told you more than you really wanted to know. »

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ed harcourt releases his fifth full studio album 'lustre' on piano wolf. his first for four years, it's a dazzling statement of intent and rejuvenation from a singer / songwriter / musician who hasn't always received the acclaim his gifts deserve. now a proud father and a much-in-demand writer / producer, he's delivered a set of songs about birth, love, light and darkness which glistens with genius. the album was recorded at bear creek studio, just north of seattle, with co-producer ryan hadlock (blonde redhead, the gossip) and mastered by gavin lurssen (o brother, where art thou? "if my last album was weighed-down, this one is a buoy," remarks ed. "it floats. it's about that gleaming quality - the vitality, the passion - that drives you to keep going and not give up. it poured out of me. i've always been ready, but now it's like nothing i've ever felt." from the opening euphoria of 'lustre' to the lupine howl of 'heart of a wolf', from the sunny yet subversive beach boys pop of 'do as i say not as i do' to the beautiful truths of 'fears of a father', this feels like the finest ed harcourt album yet. between 2001 and 2006 he released 'here be monsters' (mercury-nominated), 'from every sphere', 'strangers and the beautiful lie'. having now parted ways with heavenly / emi, worked with many of the biggest and best names in music (from patti smith to mark linkous, from paloma faith to tom jones), and started his own studio (werewolf) and his own label (piano wolf), he's 'in a good place, confident and in control.'
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