Zach Top Lowedges [VINYL]

Remastered 180g vinyl Review kitsch-free excellence confirms Hawley as a balladeer of the highest order --Q Magazine It is about the songs; eleven pure and sophisticated tales of love and lamentation. --Drowned in Sound About the Artist On October 27 Setanta Records will reissue the first three albums by one of the greatest and most important British artists of the past 15 years. He may be more widely known for his later work, beginning with 2005 s Coles Corner, but the three albums Richard Hawley recorded and released prior to that Richard Hawley, Late Night Final and Lowedges - feature compositions, arrangements and performances as good as anything he has ever recorded. These three exceptional albums, dating from 2001 2003, are being reissued to remind people of the work of the artist as a young man, before many knew of his major talent. Following a decade, one Richard spent as, amongst others, the guitarist in Longpigs, touring with Pulp and as an in-demand session guitarist, encouraged by his friends Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackay, in April 2001 he released his self-titled debut album. The mini-album was released by highly respected indie label Setanta Records (home to like-minded artists such as Divine Comedy and Edwyn Collins) and featured seven songs, showcasing an incredible songwriter and singer in possession of a rich baritone; one which could emote deep feeling with subtle deftness and finesse. The mini-album is expanded to 12 songs, with the additional five songs taken from various b-sides: Caned and Cheap Spanish Whine ( Coming Home ); Sick Pay ( Baby You re My Light , Late Night Final); Aran Loop and Troublesome Waters ( Run For Me , Lowedges). Later the same year, Setanta released Richard s first full-length album, Late Night Final named after the cry of the vendors selling the Sheffield Star in Richard s hometown, with the artwork featuring photos taken in the city s Castle Market. If his debut had caught the attention of the press, it was to be his second album which fully established him as a major British artist soaring great pop songs ( Baby You re My Light - championed by Radio 1 - and Something Is ) and a dark melancholy underpinning, which comes to fruition strongest in the album s Long Black Train (which eventually ended up in the film V For Vendetta). In 2003 Richard released his third and final album for Setanta: Lowedges. The album was acclaimed across the board, receiving 4 stars in The Guardian. Named after an area of Sheffield, the album continued many of the themes of the previous release. It seemed a much brighter, lighter and airier record in places and possibly the bright sunlit, silhouetted cover signifies a more hopeful artist than Late Night Final projected. The album further explored the euphoria of melancholia - always with a sense of hope amidst the sadness - which, in later years, would be employed in a similar vein by artists such as Elbow and Cherry Ghost. In keeping with their pop classicism and timelessness, for the first time all three albums will be available on heavyweight vinyl LP. This will be the first time Richard Hawley and Late Night Final have been available on the esteemed format. Lowedges was released on vinyl in 2003, but it was only a limited run and now changes hands for upwards of £100. They are also available on standard format CD.