Already Uncut-endorsed via two fine LPs as head of wistful country types Horse Stories, Burke's solo debut finds him in intimate, hushed repose. His acoustic guitar fingering is highly expressive, be it woven into delicate sound webs on the love-torn "Cigarettes", delving into the country-blues of "Long Face" or lighting up "Which Train's She On?" with flashes of slide. Burke's voice remains his crowning glory, though, wringing nuance from the simplest of melodies.
As with the first Raimi Spidey film, the music of choice is heavy-to-middling emo rock. Why so? Why not something more web-like and spindly and pretty with lacy filigree? Guess it must've market-tested well first time round or we wouldn't again be subjected to plodding power-sludge from the likes (and boy are they ever alike) of Hoobastank, Maroon 5, Lostprophets and Jet, the last of whom so desperately want to be The Faces that it can only be days before they pen a lyric that goes: "You're breaking my heart 'cos you're stealing my tart".
