Richard Hawley's Coles Corner was one of the more life-affirming albums of last year. If you were ever feeling low, you could curl up with it, and an hour later all would be right with the world. Born Under A Bad Sign is the fourth single to be taken from the album, and as such, seems a bit superfluous.
The song itself is magnificent of course. From the opening wry line of "what are you like? You've had a right life", Hawley looks at himself through the bottom of a whiskey bottle and berates himself for "sleeping late in the afternoon, playing your guitar". The affection of the habitual drunk permeates the song though, and the usual Hawley musical ingredients of laid back loveliness mean that this is four minutes of melancholic bliss.
Yet the feeling remains that those who want this song will already have the album. However, if for some reason, you haven't found yourself stood at Coles Corner yet, listen to this on the radio and then go out and buy the album. You won't regret it.