The Cosmic Watchdog

Elton John and Brandi Carlile. Who Believes In Angels?

It wouldn’t be an Elton John album without a tantrum or two. Our knighted national treasure admits he was a noxious nightmare in the studio, ripping up lyrics and screaming at all-comers, including co-star Brandi Carlile and genius producer Andrew Watt. Luckily Watt had the bright idea of asking Sir Elton’s lyrics wizard Bernie Taupin to write the song Little Richard’s Bible to remind Pinner’s Pinball Wizard of his own earliest influences. The resulting barnstorming honky-tonk rocker re-energised the whole project, with John’s pounding piano doing justice to Richard Penniman’s dynamic playing style.

Watt also persuaded Elton to listen to his own finest live album, 1971’s 17-11-70, and it shows. There’s renewed confidence at work here and not just on the rockers. The album comes into its own on sweeping ballads like Never Too Late where Elton and Brandi’s voices entwine. The title track is another moving heart-stopper. But you don’t need to believe in angels to appreciate the heavenly qualities of Brandi’s vocals, especially on folky rocker The Riverman and You Without Me, a song for her daughter. It was Elt’s idea to work with multi-award-winning singer-songwriter, a lifelong fan of his. But the resulting album is very much a collaboration, with US Americana star Carlile contributing musically and lyrically. The ten tracks begin with The Rose Of Laura Nyro, a call-and-response duet in tribute to the late singer-songwriter they both loved. Over six minutes long, it has a vast, expansive, cinematic scene-setting feel, before the guitar kicks in, tough and gnarly, leading us through a bluesy hard rock swamp, until simple piano greets the verse. The album closes with classic emotive Elton John piano phrasing on When This Old World Is Done With Me. We’re not done with you yet though, Reg. At 78 and 43, these two icons are making some of the best, most life-affirming and heartfelt music of their careers.

Mumford & Sons. Rushmere.

The world-conquering London folkies return to their roots after the dodgy deviations of their last album 2018’s Delta which saw them incorporate electronica and elements of jazz and rap. Here simple and effective stripped-back songs like Malibu, Carry On and the delicate Surrender draw you in and then hit you with earworm hooks. Highs include Caroline and Blood On The Page, a blissful duet with US folk-rocker Madison Cunningham.

Adrian Smith/Richie Kotzen. Black Light/White Noise.

Solid classic rock with awesome guitar-play from Iron Maiden’s Smith and ex-Poison star Kotzen. Ten swaggering tracks explode with riffs and fretboard frenzies, perfect for air guitar mimicry. Wraith and Life Unchained could be songs Maiden forgot to record. They detour into swampy southern rock and end with epic ballad Beyond The Pale.

Chris Pope & The Chords UK. But Then Again.

Mod legend Pope, formerly of The Chords, packs in 44 smartly catchy and thoughtful songs in this deluxe ‘Best Of’ package. Pope’s pop is punk influenced – there’s a touch of The Clash on Hey Kids! Come The Revolution, and The British Way Of Life is worthy of The Jam. ‘I swallow my dreams like my beer,’ he snarls in frustration. Don’t we all. There are new and previously unreleased tracks, as well as remastered, remixed or remade takes of favourites, B-sides, and even live recordings. The result charts Catford-born Chris’s career from an 18-year-old Clash and The Who loving A Level student in one of the leading Mod bands of 1979 through his later band Pope to today when his Chords UK delight audiences all over the world.