If anyone were to be termed the last of the old romantics it has to be Ed Harcourt, who just can't help wearing his heart on his sleeve. A Keats for the modern man, the soulful troubadour has again composed such an exquisite song that it almost weeps with its own aching beauty.
This One's For You, the first single from forthcoming album Strangers, is a clear relative of previous singles such as Apple of My Eye, She Fell Into My Arms and All of Your Days Will Be Blessed.
The intro sounds like Badly Drawn Boy's About A Boy with its chugging rhythm, but it soon takes on the shape of a typical Harcourt song - melancholy melodies behind a slow-burning beat and gentle heart-felt singing. It's simply beautiful.
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