Paul Carrack – Good Feeling (Review)
Review by Jack Foley
PAUL Carrack’s Good Feeling will probably appeal most to those who like nostalgic records, Radio 2 and shameless sentimentalising.
A collection of 12 soul-inspired songs that features new songs, a collaboration with Squeeze’s Chris Difford and covers of Nick Lowe and Bruce Springsteen, this is designed to be upbeat and breezy and to leave you with the good feeling of the title.
Alas, it also sounds pretty dated… or rather leans more towards an elderly fan-base. A strong appreciation of soul would also help.
Tracks that stand out include his Difford collaboration, Marmalade Moon, which is rife with sharp stabs of brass and genial beats (and a Van Morrison sound), a stripped back and dusky version of Springsteen’s If I Should Fall Behind (from Lucky Town), and a charming ode to little daughters everywhere called When My Little Girl Is Smiling, which also features some great guitar-work and a more rock-based sound.
But elsewhere, Carrack disappoints. His album is assured and clearly sounds like someone having fun and indulging his passions.
Yet there’s also something too samey about it and perhaps too safe. His Ray Charles ode, I Can Hear Ray, is just too respectful and sentimental, the piano-backed ballad Long Ago lacks any life, and there’s a cheesy romanticism surrounding Make It Right that sounds like something your grandmother used to play on a Sunday morning.
Even upbeat moments like Good Feelin’ About It have a stagey feel that prohibit them from really leaving any impact…. which, overall, is the main problem with the album as a whole. It never really comes alive in quite the way that Carrack imagines.
Download picks: Marmalade Moon, If I Should Fall Behind, When My Little Girl Is Smiling
Track listing: