excellent review of "stroking bees & chasing hares" by the paul rowley laddie

 Builders dust all over the place, a decent breakfast impossible, I retire to a hole in the chaos to place the virtual needle odigital platter of Mr Whittall's latest offering, a fun filled family all welcome extravaganza of good old English pop music. Hurrah, it's back! No, don't wake XTC, Gilbert (yes, Gilbert) O'Sullivan,or even Lord(surely they've done it by now) McCartney from their quite exemplary slumbering, they won't be needed now that we have 'Bees & Hares' to salve us with it's honey teaspoon, pull back the curtains darling, sunny soothing balm. 'God's Good Earth' sets the tone with strong vocals, a call to scamper with kittens in the back garden, get the dog out for a good walk, and more than this, we're together, life could be good right here, right now, for goodness sake turn the TV news down and put the kettle on, there's lovely! 'Better Neighbours' jigs off with jolly piano, gentle guitar, and a lyric than leans back on the party wall and says 'we've got sugar if you're desperate, but don't step on my best begonias when you hop the fence, ya bugger, all-right!' Beautiful ending, not unlike 'Space Oddity' to my lugholes'For the Hundreds of Sails' is like waking up after too much cider in the back of a west country folk club to find the banjo boys have finished and bogged off to the bar, leaving a new singer singing a song that weaves it's heartfelt melody around your heartstrings, bringing tears to dry eyes, not to be sorrowful but, again the theme in this collection I reckon, to love, love, love(it's all you need, after all – where's my dinner!?). 'Badger's Retreat' is Looney tunes for grown ups, with Bonzo Badger, dada keyboards, mumbles, grumbles, and well, I'll not spoil it, purchase to get best benefit dears. The eccentricity continues into the melancholy but wonderful 'Granny Goes Dancing on Thursdays' which leads gently into 'Sparrow fall' a haunting poem, and is followed by 'The Angels were There for Me', a smashing slice of fruity- it could only happen here- pop with the immortal line 'Drink Barley water like everyone oughta!' Is my bath ready? 'Wake from Angels Faces' is sensuously layered with glimpses of synthesizer folk tunes and a mournful lyric that pulls you down into a place of deep personal reflection. Then, just as the tissue box is emptying faster than a box of chocs at a weight watchers convention, along comes the jaunty angled 'Topical Timothy' to lift our spirits again and it's back in the village where we're all slightly barmy but the kettle's singing on the electric hob and everyone's up for croquet later, or at least a buttered scone with jam and a dollop. You won't want to leave, not if you've seen what's out there. 'The Poor Man's Snow' goes right up my pipe with it's crisp acoustic textures and folk melody, great lyrics, and finishes this great long player (love the moderns but let me call it that) in a most delightful way. It's all here for those with ears to see, eyes to eye-eye, and hearts to open out. Here's the key, keep it safe, and don't be too late home, especially when it gets dark. I think a purchase could be in order. Ah, Mr O'Reilly, about the position of this new door!