Send "Richard Hawley " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 Since transitioning from a roving Britpop guitarist (first with Longpigs, later with Pulp) into a singer-songwriter, Sheffield's Richard Hawley has been content to play the long game. That is, if he's playing the game at all. Much like his output, about which it's basically impossible to write without conjuring at least one of Roy Orbison, Lee Hazlewood, or Elvis Presley, his decade-long career has served as a testament to an almost perverse disinterest in the modern day. In Hawley's world, rock stars still wear Brylcreem, sunglasses, cigarettes, and reverb, and the twang of a Gretsch is music's lingua franca. If he were remotely interested in winning a mainstream audience, you'd have a hard time proving it.And yet, despite six albums chronicling his single-minded devotion to a very specific patch of vintage rock, one could make the argument that Hawley's career is still on the ascent. Whether by design or coincidence, his music has recently begun peppering the ad breaks of British television-- it appears what was too somber for radio listeners is ideal for consumers. Likewise, Hawley's last record, Truelove's Gutter, was a career highlight that saw him twist longer, darker shapes out of his considerable songwriting craft. Some critics called it the best album of his career....full text |
| Thelineofbestfit |
| Richard Hawley’s stomping grounds don’t feature much in the way of stomping. Instead, the calm, collected, even romantic notions emanating from the serene shores of Hawley’s musical mind keep playing, even if few seem to catch on. It’s a mindset that seemingly protects the music from the dangers of commercialism and keeps the artist and fans involved quite happy. Yet it’s also a shame since the critically lauded songwriter’s been on a roll rarely found these days. Every release of Hawley’s over the last decade merited much more attention than it received and, in particular, the last three were among that year’s best albums. Coles Corner, Lady’s Bridge and Truelove’s Gutter all deserved a larger and longer-lasting spotlight, but that’s part of the identity (and beauty) of a musical gem like Hawley. The guitarist’s latest EP, False Lights from the Land, isn’t so much a vehicle for new tunes as it is a spotlight shining back toward last fall’s stunning release of Truelove’s Gutter. Of the four songs here, the highlight is ‘Remorse Code,’ one of two long players from Gutter. Nearly ten minutes in length, its pacing resembles a nighttime coastal drive while Hawley’s Johnny Cash-meets-Matt Berninger vocal takes control of the wheel. The song’s inclusion seems to shine a “don’t forget me” signal in the sky of the digital musical age....full text |
| Theskinny |
| False Lights from the Land is rather more niche than any of Hawley’s previous releases, having been inspired exclusively by “the sea” and its gloomy charms, meaning that very particular circumstances are required to fully appreciate it. Shallow Brown, for example, is a West Indian shanty performed a cappella with gospelesque backing from Smoke Fairies, beautifully showcasing Hawley’s smoky tones, but a pop song it most certainly is not. Elsewhere, the EP is dominated by the magnificent Remorse Code, even if its inclusion is somewhat puzzling since it's lifted straight from Truelove’s Gutter, Hawley’s latest full-length. Throughout these four tracks, though, the quality of musicianship is stunning, despite the apparent peculiarities of the Sheffield troubadour's selection. [Mark Holland]...full text |
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