“Seconds out" - Winds of Change, the new album by Dik Cadbury reviewed by Alan Hewitt.

Dik Cadbury is a name which will be familiar to most of you, and indeed a great many music fans as he has graced several bands with his talents over the years not least that of Mr Steve Hackett esquire. However, what is truly amazing is that this is only Dik’s second proper album under his own name - hence the title of the review folks, geddit?

Anyway, the wait has proved to be worth it as once again, Dik has put together a fine ensemble of songs and musicians for this offering. The title track gets us off to a suitably jaunty and optimistic start but as the album dwells on life’s vagaries it is not long before we are on slightly more melancholy territory with Where’s It All Gone Wrong? A wryly cynical look at a relationship gone wrong. Here Dik’s vocal reminds me of that other great tunesmith, Mark Knopfler and indeed, the tune itself would not have been out of place on one of Dire Straits’ albums which is no bad thing now, is it?

The Laughing Boy is a latter day folk tune with a tune that will resonate long after it has finished playing, and has shades of so many Irish folk tunes about it. A melancholy but not mawkish affair while Let It Go owes more than a passing nod to Geordie tunesmiths Lindisfarne, not least the opening which reminds me of their classic Lady Eleanor track. Here Dik is also joined by his former Hackett band mate Peter Hicks and it is great to hear their harmonies again but the track is so much more than this, a wonderful evocation of wistful regret at life’s might have beens evoked brilliantly through the haunting sax playing of Patsy Gamble.

New Car is a gloriously wistful tune with a brilliantly evoked tale of a love affair gone wrong. The guitar and bass refrain to this one is something that I will be humming for ages! I can’t help but draw a comparison here with some of the work of another one of my favourite singer song writers: Martyn Joseph, and believe me that comparison is meant as a compliment!

Life is a rollercoaster as someone once sand and indeed Rollercoaster picks up the pace with a delightfully rocky little number and another wry look at life’s trials and tribulations but it still kicks some ass with deliciously fiery guitar licks and once again the wonderful harmonies of Cadbury and Hicks as well as those of Lucy Cadbury- Hamood.

Connected is another delightful look at the things that memories are made of and how we are connected to them (pun intended) and is a wonderful examination of how we all have the need to feel that we belong to a place, a time a person. This one will resonate with anyone on so many levels and is musically gorgeous throughout.

Thinking features the unmistakable acoustic guitar work of young Mr Hackett in a Flamenco style and the tasteful percussive work of Keith Baker, a bona fide classic and a great slice of song writing at its very best - this should be echoing out of radios (remember them folks) throughout the land it is wonderful!

You Are My Heartbeat once again features the superb vocals of Lucy Cadbury-Hamood and this one would not sound out of place on a Corrs album, a filip for the ears and soul and a delight from start to finish.

Rise Above surprisingly features the steel pan work of Sterling Betancourt MBE, and once you get used to that little surprise, the song will indeed, make your spirits rise as it is an unabashed celebration of the things that make life worth living.

Sam Cooke Said .. Indeed Mr Cooke said a great many things to inspire us and here we have an uplifting and irritatingly toe-tapping little number with a reggae edge to it and once again some fine sax playing this time from Mike Paice one you can get up and groove to or just enjoy with a chilled glass of Barcardi, either way the result will warm the cockles of your heart!

And we conclude our trip through life’s ups and downs with a reprise of the album’s opener. Life’s a long song as someone once said and albums like this are far too short both in length and numbers these days. Here we have another brilliant offering from Mr Cadbury who once again has surrounded himself with some of the best talent available and the end result is another album which won’t be out of place in anyone’s music collection - more please!

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For further info check out: www.dikcadbury.com