Back in 1991 Eg & Alice released their only album, 24 Years Of Hunger. I ignored it completely. Eg White had been in boyband Brother Beyond, but left before their work with Stock Aitken & Waterman in the late 80s. Alice Temple is a musician and model and was a BMX champion! She also worked with UNKLE later on. My sister had been a big fan and she bought this album. So too did other friends of mine who then raved about it. I heard a few songs, but didn’t really look past the slickness. Besides which 91 was more about Baggy and dance music, Julian Cope’s Peggy Suicide and Saint Etienne’s Foxbase Alpha.

The years passed and every so often I would read about Eg & Alice. “Lost classic” was the general consensus, and I would see that opinion more and more over time, which I noticed more and more too, especially as the album was originally a bit of a flop. Eg White released another couple of albums over the years, but more and more his dayjob took over, which is songwriter for hire. You will know the names of the artists he has written songs for or been drafted in to help with their songwriting, especially when a hit is required. Adele for instance. Will Young, James Blunt, Duffy, James Morrison, they’ve all had songs written for or with White over the past decade.

Its a shame because the work he does on his own has the same produced sheen as any of them, but at heart it’s quirkier, edgier even while it’s wearing the same clothes. The influences show where some of that ‘slick’ come from. Steely Dan, Prince, Prefab Sprout, Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell, perhaps Blue Nile and Peter Gabriel. Indian, posted above, is a fairly typical example of what the album sounds like, but it is far, far from being the best as far as I’m concerned. But if you like it go to the comments. You won’t regret it.

I managed to track the album down this week and I’ve been obsessed with it. At first it still sounds slick, but then it’s character and depth and hidden spikiness start to show through. I’m reminded of Steely Dan, but there’s lots of Prince, but more so it reminds me of the work of Wendy & Lisa. There are some odd moments of dischord in amidst it, but mostly it’s a hazy almost sleepy album. But undercut with a strange tense atmosphere. It’s not a happy album but it is a very contained one. I am more than a little bit in love with it.

There’s been reason for my lack of involvement. I haven’t really had the head space to connect with anything much; the new music I have been listening to hasn’t really been getting me overly excited and things happening in the world outside are, frankly, too depressing to focus on. And that’s all because on March 17th or thereabouts there’s another mini-me or mini-wife arriving……

In February I turn 43. I will be a dad of two children younger than the age of 3 at the age of 43. Damn.

My wife has commented on how little I’ve been talking about it all. I am, without a doubt, hugely excited by it and cannot wait to meet the new arrival. But I am terrified! So I have been burying my head in the sand a little. But no more, especially as it’s speeding down the road towards me like a runaway train!!!

And even though we are a family of 3 already, we have no idea whatsoever who is coming to say hello to us. Which makes us feel like this song gets across so well.

So I’ve been on leave nearly a week and haven’t really noticed the dates, apart from the fact that Christmas Day is on Sunday. So the 22nd nearly passed me by. It’s been 9 years since Joe went, and on the decade next year Joe would have been 60…bloody hell time really does scare me sometimes.

Here’s one of my favourite Joe moments, which just happens to be from his later career. He was on top form for the first time in years and it looked like there was a lot of good stuff to come.

See ya around Joe.

A beautiful dream of a song, sitting in the area that Kate Bush and Japan and Billy MacKenzie made their own. An 80s influence, but not the 80s sound that people normally associate with that decade.

Bed Of Nails – Wild Beasts

There will be more MP3s again, but here’s a song I don’t own, at least in this version. Nouvelle Vague have been around for a while, doing their quiet acoustic versions of punk, new wave and 80s classics. I like them, but don’t need them if you know what I mean. But this version of the Go-Gos/Fun Boy Three song is gorgeous. The original is one of my all time favourite songs, one of those that I like regardless of who performs it. It used to be the only song I would always insist on performing in bands over the years too, it translates into all sorts of styles, chameleon style.

Some of you are going to love this. This is the opening track from Arnalds’ 2010 album “And They Have Escaped The Weight Of Darkness” and it is bloody gorgeous; coming over like the missing link between Eno’s Music For Airports and Sigur Ros’ Takk album. It’s slightly lazy comparison time, Arnalds is from Iceland and has worked with Sigur Ros. It’s dreamy, mostly piano and strings and it sounds like it has been carved from ice. Absolutely beautiful. Really really beautiful.

Olafur Arnalds – Þú ert sólin

And here is live from 83 Style Council version, where Paul & Mick are backed by The Questions on a Radio 1 concert that also featured several songs by the Respond acts. This version is one of my all time favourite Weller performances from any period of his career. It’s in my mind the perfect example of his left leaning soulboy moves, and a lot funkier than say Money Go Round which comes from the same period.

A glorious tune from a wonderful singer. Search out any of her 70s works.  I promise you there will be no disappointment.

Its like the last days of a holiday romance, that bittersweet feeling of loss after the magic of making a connection. And yes, look, even the trees know its over. Flashes of gold and red and brown amidst the green.

And the last of the day’s sunlight looks cold, or at least distant. ” Lets not say goodbye, Ill just go. Oh please dont look sad, you always knew it wouldnt last.”

You just know how its going to end. You’re going to wake up soon, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not the next day. And you’re going to know its time to put on a coat.