Music > Album Reviews

CAROL HODGE – THE CRIPPLING SPACE BETWEEN

23/12/21

Given that my usual tastes run to the shouty, angry and dissonant rather than soulful, heart-breaking, piano ballads and melodic pop, Carol Hodges’ music isn’t an obvious choice for me. But then, I first encountered Carol on YouTube screaming the Crass classic Shaved Women at a Steve Ignorant show so the self-described “piano-pounding, singer-songwriter” may not be the most obvious person to be making such music. Whatever, I LOVE Carol’s music, whether it be solo, with Ignorant’s Slice of Life or roots-rocker Ryan Hamilton.

Louder Than War has described Carol as “the Adele for people into radical politics” and “a (modern) equivalent to the Tapestry-era Carole King and I can’t top those descriptions, although I’d also throw in Goodbye Yellow Brick Road-era Elton John, Randy Newman and just maybe a touch of Sparks into the mix. Carol’s soaring voice and piano are superb throughout, as is the playing from the supporting cast.

This third album mixes heart-rending piano ballads such as Best Thing In This Town with hugely anthemic rockers like The Moan of a Thousand Years. My highlight THIS could be Abba at their most glam-rocking channelling mid 80s US radio rock.

This astounding album is almost certainly Carol’s best solo release yet. It is in my top 3 of 2021 and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

10/10