Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
You might always have a sneaking suspicion that one of Britain’s much loved and endearing song writers will always pull something special out of the bag when it comes to releasing an album of new songs,. Something that touches the listener in ways that remind them of the first time they saw a rainbow in the sky after a week’s worth of rain, a moment in time when the first sip of champagne at a wedding caught their taste buds and revelled in the simple but undeniable pleasure of a rite of passage; that effortless elegance, the uncomplicated grace that resides in the heart of Paul Carrack and his latest album, Soul Shadows, is one of purity and conviction.
Value is a word that Paul Carrack continues to live up to, each song offering a little piece of his soul for the listener to cherish and it is as true in this latest release as it has been throughout his career, the voice that holds silk to ransom captures the listener’s heart with ease but also with honour and the lyrical freedom in which he sings is never anything but cool, smooth and gently forceful. It is that value, that respect that he has for the art of the song and for the listener that makes the songs soar and be felt as a reflection of the music lovers own life.
Whilst the soul is elemental, a drive in which each song lingers playfully and without malice, Paul Carrack delves between the sheets of this lyrical lover’s and gently caresses the muse and it is to that muse the listener must attend its thanks.
With songs such as Sweet Soul Legacy, the hauntingly beautiful Let Me Love Again, That’s How I Feel and the temptation hovering with angelic demeanour in Share Your Love With Me, Paul Carrack has not only offered his soul to be opened in full view again, he allows his heart to be broken but knowing full well that as always the tracks he placed before the listener will only strengthen the resolve to produce wonderfully produced and honestly felt music.
A man of utter conviction to music, Paul Carrack is a pure delight.
Ian D. Hall