It is surely a scary thought for Belfast singer-songwriter Andy White (and other people, too, quite likely) that we’re fast approaching the 30th anniversary of his debut EP (Religious Persuasion) and his debut album (Rave on Andy White). In the meantime, much water has passed under many bridges. There was White’s flurry of major record label activity in the late 1980s and early ’90s, his emigration to Australia and – as this warmly confessional and intimate album attests – the break-up of his 15-year marriage. White’s lyrics have always been engaging. While some songwriters tend to veer towards unsavoury self-examination, he seems to prefer a more objective (but no less honest) investigation of pitifully broken hearts. His obvious pain, our vicarious pleasure? Sadly, it would seem so – and with good tunes, too.

* * *

Tony Clayton-Lea, January 2014