Badly Drawn Boy, aka Damon Gough, makes his eagerly awaited return with the release of a new album through AWAL. Banana Skin Shoes features fourteen (50 min, 49 sec) brand new tracks including the political pop of current single ‘Is This A Dream?’...

Those of a certain age will remember Badly Drawn Boy from his late '90s early '00s success. Now, I have to admit that while I remembered the name, I couldn't recall any of his songs. Mainly because I'd left university and was working in London before he started to become well known, and I had sort of stopped keeping in touch with what was popular music at that time. In fact, asking several friends of my age, they all came up blank too. While they knew the name, they couldn't remember any of his songs.

But that's immaterial, what matters here is what his new album is like. Almost all the songs on this album are all good enough to be singles in their own right and those that aren't instantly recognisable in this mould... well, that's because they're slow burners and it takes a few listens to let their message sink in.

If I was forced to pick out highlights, I'd have to choose the 'I'm Not Sure What it Is' (which feels like a modern Nik Kershaw single); the slow, methodical 'I Just Wanna Wish You Happiness'; and 'I Need Someone To Trust' for it's upbeat '90s sensibility (not to mention its 'If you Leave Me Now' Chicago-esque vibe).

What I loved most about this is that Gough draws on so many influences and styles that the end result is a beautiful melting pot of idea that blends together effortlessly.

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Nick Smithson