  
Jon Boden is a singer and musician best known for being the frontman of Bellowhead before stepping down last year. This is a solo album he released on his own label ten years ago, and it's now being reissued on Proper records with three bonus tracks added. Bellowhead fans who haven't heard this album before might expect it to be similar to Bellowhead's music, but this is actually very different.
On this album Jon Boden plays all the instruments - which shows his vesatility since it includes instruments as diverse as Fiddle, double bass, banjo, guitar, concertina, glockenspiel, electric piano, indian harmonium and even a drum machine and synthesiser which aren't instruments you find very often in folk music.
It's quite a mixed album - some songs I love, while others just don't appeal particularly.
"Blue dress" is one of the weaker songs on the album. It's a ballad, and his vocals are very good, but the song and lyrics just fall flat in my opinion.
"Drunken princess" is an unusual (and excellent) song that switches several times without warning between folk and rock.
"Broken things" is a great song. It's an unusual one with a slightly odd feel, but has a quality that makes it stand out.
The last track on the album is one of the bonus tracks and is a surprising choice - it's a cover of the Whitney Houston hit "I want to dance with somebody". As you'd expect it's very different to the original. Gone is the upbeat pop, and in its place is a beautiful folk song. I think it's a fantastic cover - it's always good to see an artist take a familiar song and totally transform it into somethign very different but equally good, or better.
It's a very good reissue, and one that should give the album a well deserved wider audience. Whether fans who already have the original album choose to buy it for the three bonus tracks remains to be seen, if you enjoy folk and don't have this album then it's definitely worth a listen.
Painted Lady 10th anniversary edition will be released on 30th September 2016
Track listing:
1. Get a little something
2. Blue dress
3. Josephine
4. Pocketful of mud
5. Drunken princess
6. Lemany
7. Win some lose some Sally
8. True love
9. Ophelia
10. Broken things
11. Painted lady
12. Drinking the night away
Bonus tracks:
13. All hang down
14. Old Brown's daughter
15. I want to dance with somebody |
