:: Hugh Cornwell - Beyond Elysian Fields

Hugh Cornwell

It’s been sixteen years since Hugh Cornwell stepped off stage and announced to his band members that this would be the last time he would be fronting The Stranglers. Over time hostilities between him and the remaining band members simmered and both parties went out and continued their careers respectively. The Stranglers got a new lead singer and continued making albums and touring, while Cornwell launched his solo career and released a string of albums that ever increasingly showcased his evocative lyricism and pop sensibilities. His latest offering, Beyond Elysian Fields, is his ninth solo release and is a delightfully stripped back acoustic affair that is highly engaging. ‘Land of a Thousand Kisses’ kicks things off and lets us know that not only Ben Harper can create an addictive groove with an acoustic guitar. ‘Cadiz’ is a dreamy tune that makes good use of the castanets and has a sparse sound that can’t help but suck you in. Cornwell also challenges himself lyrically on ‘The Story of Harry Power’. This track, with its rambling narrative structure, is sure to make an impression on Australian listeners as it details the life of the man that led Ned Kelly astray. Cornwell also pays homage to the equally mythical albeit more modern figure of Bob Dylan with ‘24/7’. With lines such as “24/7, It has to be the greatest job - 24/7, just being Bob.” It is a tribute to His Bobness that is not over sentimental, which is precisely why it is so affecting. Older fans will also get a chance to smile and reminisce about the good old days with Stranglers-like tracks such as the stomping ‘Under Her Spell’ and the classic pop of ‘Beauty on the Beach’. But there is a definite distinction between these songs and old Stranglers tracks in that these tunes are less rowdy and more refined. With Beyond Elysian Fields, Cornwell created a record that is effortlessly beguiling and with enough musical and lyrical depth to keep you engrossed after repeated listens. This album also cements Hugh Cornwell’s place as singer-songwriter of considerable quality.