Crowdfunded, Paul-Ronney is the embodiment of a punk rock roving minstrel, maybe not of your snotty Pistols style, but the attitude of D-I-Y and I’ll do it on my own terms with as much style as one can muster. I was delighted to part with my hard-earned money to sign up for this project before I’d even heard a single note. Singing and twanging his own compositions, it says on the movie score poster-style artwork, and rather fitting and fetching it is, too.

With more than a little help from a cast of many, Paul-Ronney has hit this one out of the park right from the off, with the whisky-soaked vocals pouring out the lyrics from his broken-open heart; he leaves nothing behind right from the off. Calling on his friends in these uncertain times to assist him in weaving this rich tapestry, starting off on side one with the sparse ‘He’s A Fraud’ has his comrade Alex on piano setting the tone. ‘My Baby Still’ is a wonderful follow-up, with Bendik on piano and the beautiful voice of Mille Watson on what I can only describe as a stone-cold Paul-Ronney classic and one of his finest pieces of music to date, sending a chill down my spine and a tear in my eye with such a beautiful song so early on in the record, it fills me to the brim with optimism for what’s to come.

I didn’t want to go through the album track by track and spoil any surprises, but I could break these down one by one because whilst the instrumentation is sparse and simple, with acoustic guitars and piano dominating, there are layers of lap steel and strings here and there adding depth and texture but always in the right place, which I should add is wonderfully arranged and produced because the sound of the songs is excellent. Played loudly, I could be sitting round a roaring fire with Paul-Ronney and friends, sitting next to me, whispering and hollering next to me, chuffin talented swine to be fair and plays everything on ‘Lost Loser ‘. There’s a different vibe to his day job with the multi-instrumentalist ensemble that is The Urban Voodoo Machine, which is why it’s a solo record (doh state the obvious, Dom) ‘Bottle With Her’ would be the closest to the Gypsy stroll and bop of The UVM, but not really (listen and make your own mind up); it sounds like the Stones when they recorded Exile, and that’s not a big stretch, to be fair. Maybe it’s the spirit of that Gibson Hummingbird he used that Keith would have used on Exile; it’s all captured in the sound of the thing.

Side two begins with a very different take of ‘Good Night My Dear’, and I think I actually prefer this one, stripped back with those big chords and Paul-Ronney singing his socks off is a beautiful thang. Worth it for this alone. Oh, and a special mention for the vocals of Tomirae Brown as well, who adds that little something special. Alex McGowans’ involvement can’t go unstated, as his influence is all over this record, and even if it’s just BV’s and foot stomps, it’s the spiritual support and being on hand as it was recorded in his studio, I believe. ‘Autumn Depression’ reminds me of the legend that is Dan Stuart from Green On Red who pockets of this album reminds me which is never a bad thing.

If you’re going to write a song with someone on this album, it might as well be a fuckin legend like, oh, I dunno, Fellow Norwegian Casino bloody Steel, who helps co-write ‘Thank God The Bar Is Closing’ and joins in with some ivory tinkling and handclaps, of course. The album closes with ‘The Funeral’, which is an instrumental featuring his boy Teddy on the slinky metal spring and some cocktail drums from Rocky Rhythm, which is always nice, shame there are no words, because this album has been a welcome gear change and choc-a-bloc with the most wonderful tunes composed by the outsider that is Paul-Ronney Angel, ably assisted by many, for a stunning debut solo album and the first of many, I hope. Of all the stereos in all the towns, Paul-Ronney Angel has to be heard on mine. I hope he comes back this way in the not-too-distant future, because this Lone Ranger will always be welcome at RPM HQ. Now go buy this record it’s stunning. His first solo record was full of reworked and imagined covers this is a totally different beast, and Paul-Ronney has shown his talent in a big way, not just as a performer or frontman with the Urban Voodoo Machine but as a solo artist and songwriter – simply brilliant!

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Author: Dom Daley