If you’re going to explore adult Pop then make sure you’re surrounded by an empathetic support network. Teddy Thompson’s fourth long player “A Piece Of What You Need” is, by his own admission, unadulterated mainstream tunes, which further extricate the singer/guitarist from the familial Folk/Rock influence of his parents, Richard and Linda. By employing producer Marius de Vries (Rufus Wainwright, David Gray, Melanie C), Thompson has an ally well versed in sophisticated arrangements and attention to melodic detail. De Vries deliberately avoids the intensely low key chamber pop sound of Wainwright (except for “Turning The Gun On Myself”) in favour of broader, confident and upbeat sonic images to wrap around Thompson’s rich baritone. It’s slick, sincere and potentially enduring, with a host of strong songs blatantly targeted for daytime radio and chart single success. Thompson’s lyrical input has a gritty realism and simple candour that feels unrestrained by the brighter musical mood that surrounds him, as he addresses relationship struggles, love, depression, and suicide.

7/10

In My Arms