My Beautiful England
| My Beautiful England | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 14 October 2022 | |||
| Recorded | June 2021 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock | |||
| Length | 39:18 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Tiny Global Productions | |||
| Producer | Des Lambert | |||
| David Westlake chronology | ||||
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| Singles from My Beautiful England | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Uncut | 8/10[1] |
| Louder Than War |  [2] |
My Beautiful England is the third solo studio album by English singer/songwriter David Westlake, released through Tiny Global Productions on 14 October 2022.
Recording
[edit]My Beautiful England was produced by Des Lambert.
In his book Whatever Happened to the C86 Kids?, Nige Tassell notes that My Beautiful England is Westlake’s first all-new album since Play Dusty for Me twenty years ago, and that former Servants bandmate Luke Haines plays guitar on the recording.[3]
Reception
[edit]Writing for Uncut, Johnny Sharp rated the album eight-out-of-ten, calling it “a delight”. “Westlake retains great respect from [the C86] era’s cognoscenti”, he said, and My Beautiful England is “a Britpop concept album from a man who’d surely wince at either label”.[1]
In an in-depth review for Louder Than War, Neil Davenport gave the album a five-out-of-five rating, calling it “one of the most idiosyncratic, political and blazingly tuneful guitar pop albums [of 2022]”. “It’s an extraordinary record”, he says, “a contemporary update on George Orwell’s critiques of left intelligentsia found in ‘England Your England’.” “This is high level stuff”, says Davenport; “Not since Malcom Eden’s old band McCarthy (but in a completely different historical context) has there been an attempt to intelligently challenge received wisdom.” Musically, “My Beautiful England simply triumphs as a consistently great, 14-song guitar pop album. It’s packed with some of Westlake’s best songs.”[2]
Different shows on BBC Radio 6 Music and other BBC stations gave the album regular airplay for several months around its release.[4][5][6][7]
Track listing
[edit]Side one:
- "My Beautiful England" – 4:24
- "War Memorial" – 3:05
- "The Modern Ruins of Old London Town" – 3:20
- "Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood" – 3:23
- "Mallory Kept Climbing the Mountain" – 2:25
- "E is for the Empire" – 2:38
Side two:
- "Hayes, Middlesex" – 1:59
- "English Parish Churches" – 3:37
- "Regency Terrace" – 2:24
- "Marie Lloyd" – 2:20
- "The Crusades" – 2:31
- "The Age of Unenlightenment" – 2:17
- "General Gordon’s Last Stand" – 2:38
- "Au Contraire, Tony Blair" – 2:11
Personnel
[edit]- David Westlake – vocals and guitar
- Luke Haines – guitar
- Des Lambert – bass
- Rob Flanagan – drums
- Dwain Bedford – trumpet
Technical personnel
[edit]- Des Lambert – production
- Stuart Moxham – mastering
- Patsy Westlake – photography
- Del Sozou – artwork, design
References
[edit]- ^ a b Sharp, Johnny (October 2022). "Former Servant's first solo album in 20 years". Uncut. TI Media. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
- ^ a b Davenport, Neil (19 October 2022). "David Westlake 'My Beautiful England' : album review". Louder Than War. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
- ^ Tassell, Nige (2022). Whatever Happened to the C86 Kids?: An Indie Odyssey. London: Nine Eight Books. p. 286. ISBN 978-1788705585.
- ^ "Radcliffe & Maconie". BBC Radio 6 Music. BBC Radio. 24 July 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
[12] David Westlake: Bethnal Green Museum Of Childhood
- ^ "Gideon Coe". BBC Radio 6 Music. BBC Radio. 7 September 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
[28] David Westlake: The Modern Ruins Of Old London Town
- ^ "Steve Lamacq". BBC Radio 6 Music. BBC Radio. 28 July 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
[7] David Westlake: Bethnal Green Museum Of Childhood
- ^ "The Mickey Bradley Record Show". BBC Radio Ulster. BBC Radio. 23 September 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
[7] David Westlake: Mallory Kept Climbing The Mountain