Ignition レコード& CD

Review: Whether you're a big Stereophonics fan or not, there are two fundamental truths. One - 'Local Boy In the Photograph' wonderfully encapsulates a period in our lives we will treasure forever, and remains a tune to this day. Two - Kelly Jones is one of the finest singers of his generation, capable of moving between melancholia and euphoria in equal measure, all with a whisky-raw delivery that positioned him as experienced veteran long before he'd even cracked a single crow's foot on those wise eyes. Inevitable Incredible is the latest proof he's still got it. Yes, this is very easy going stuff and aimed squarely at a kind of middle-soft-rock-folk-leaning-country-indie audience. But, also yes, everything here hits with real emotional resonance and the songwriting is superb. Tender, vulnerable, resolutely human, if this is what happens when Jones hauls up on a Norwegian island solo, and spends six days recording on his piano, we'd like that to happen more often.