Graham Coxon
Issue #30
Love Travels at Illegal Speeds (Parlophone)
By Charlotte Robinson
Published: December 1st, 2006 | 1:12pm
From the opening notes of "Standing on My Own Again," it's obvious that Graham Coxon is not simply repeating the formula of his lauded last album, 2004’s Happiness in Magazines. A bit slower and more introspective, the songs are not as immediate as Happiness’ pop gems "Spectacular" and "Freakin' Out," but after a few spins, it's clear the new album is every bit as great — if not better — than its predecessor.
Coxon, the former guitarist of Blur, once again teams with the band's longtime producer Stephen Street, who adds a pop sheen that was largely missing from Coxon's noisier early discs. Though this is a mostly pop-flavored affair, Coxon veers easily from lush ballads to noisy rockers like "I Don't Wanna Go Out," and his songwriting contains enough variations on the running themes of love and lust to keep things interesting. One moment he's introspective and melancholy, lamenting that "It's so lonely to love someone," but later he's demanding to know, "Are you gonna dump this other guy before I die of sexual frustration?"
Love is a rich and rewarding listen, made all the more impressive by the fact that Coxon plays almost every instrument himself. Don't be surprised to find yourself asking, "Blur who?"
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