Ed Harcourt - Visit From The Dead Dog (Heavenly)
4/5
By: Thomas Hannan
When people talk up the merits of some band having written a good old 'simple pop song', very few of them actually endorse what's coming out of their mouths. They're being apologetic on someone else's behalf most of the time, brushing over the fact that what's been laid down has taken little to no intelligence, or misguidedly suggesting that such a facet is something worthy of praise. Usually, it isn't.
What's great about Ed is he's barely written a simple song in his life. 'Visit From The Dead Dog' is incredibly complicated pop music, things going on both musically and lyrically all the goddamn time, but remains very much a pop record in the sense that with each of its turns it's enticed its audience in to following it with sumptuous mastery of a lovely tune.
Graham Coxon makes one very subtle guest appearance on guitar - a perfect pairing, given the shared love for things intriguing but still widely accepted as beautiful. If after the dead dog's visit you're suitably convinced that complicated pop wins over its dumb counterpart every time, fumble through record store racks for Harcourt's newest long playing effort. It contains nothing but.
Artists in this article: Ed Harcourt
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