Stephen Duffy

The last time Stephen Duffy hit the news he had left his pastoral retreat to play pop Pygmalion for Robbie Williams and his Intensive Care album and tour. As unexpected as that may have been, it does not seems to have left much of an enduring trace in his exemplary Lilac Time trajectory. Indeed, for Runout Groove Duffy gets on the lilac bus exactly at the same stop where he got off five years ago with Keep Going. As Duffy fans should be accustomed to (and thankful for) by now, he indeed keeps going steady for another eminently worthwhile album, and ends up parking it a few more miles down the road of pensive, superb British folk-pop. While the more spare songs, such as "No Direction" or "Happy Go Lucky," sound exactly like his previous album, much of the best of Runout Groove has to do with the fuller arrangements provided by double-bass British folk legend Danny Thompson, lap and pedal steel guitarist Melvin Duffy, Stephen's brother and perennial collaborator Nick Duffy and, most especially, multi-instrumentalist Claire Worrall, whose vocal harmonies with Duffy soon become the undisputed heart and highlight of this record. In addition, while Duffy's lyrics continue exquisitely courting melancholy and regret, it is overall a much less somber outing than Keep Going. Duffy has long decided to wear his influences and/or autobiography on his sleeve, and Runout Groove is no exception. The Beatles will always take pride of place, as they should, and here "Dark Squadron"'s melody resembles John Lennon's "Real Love," and the shadow of George Harrison smiles from the perfect pop of "Driving Somewhere" and its perfectly timed guitar riffs. There is also a moving tribute to Nico and her Desertshore album in the track of the same name. Furthermore, for the first time on a Lilac Time release, a cover is included: the Everly Brothers' "Until I Kiss You." Duffy jokingly alleged in an interview that he and Worrall chose the tune to appease their longtime Gram Parsons-Emmylou Harris fixation. As it is often the case with the Lilac Time, sources and concepts may not be terribly original, but the end results are quite magical. In the voices of Duffy and Worrall, "Until I Kiss You" undergoes an amazing transformation from insecure teen infatuation to sensual adult gratification, in what may very well prove to be the definitive treatment of this minor Everly classic. Novelty value is never the issue in Runout Groove's understatedly impeccable amalgamation of pop, folk, ragtime, and blues. The task is, rather, to put together yet again a collection of songs to stand the test of time. As always, Lilac Time records make it seem so easy. [A Special Edition of the CD was also released.] ~ Mariano Prunes, All Music Guide