Loaded Album of the week
By Fred Spanner
Baxter Dury: Allbarone ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Baxter Dury’s never been your average indie poet. He’s always sounded like the bloke in the pub who knows everyone’s business and isn’t shy about slagging it off. On Allbarone, he sounds like he’s had a night out in Ibiza, necked a few tequilas, and decided to swap the nicotine-stained grooves for something you could actually get down to on the dancefloor.
Produced by Paul Epworth, the record slaps with disco basslines, spiky synths and beats. Don’t panic, though. He hasn’t turned into Calvin Harris. This is still Baxter: louche, half-snarled vocals, lyrics like piss-take graffiti on a Soho toilet wall.
Highlights? Title track Allbarone struts in like a villain in loafers. Schadenfreude is pure Baxter, cutting society down while grinning through the smoke. Return of the Sharp Heads could soundtrack a dodgy party, and Mockingjay is surprisingly tender, proving the lad can still do wounded heart without losing face.
Allbarone is the sound of Baxter Dury getting his shirt half unbuttoned, sticking two fingers up at respectability, and dancing anyway. It’s messy, sharp, funny, and surprisingly moving.
It’s Baxter at his very best: mixing the charm with the chaos. Top marks!
Check out our interview with Baxter Dury