Showtunes From The Shadows is the latest album by Indie folk legend Helen McCookerybook, who it's been a good couple of months since I last reviewed, the re-issue of Records & Tea: The Best Of The Chefs her early group, whose Jack McCallum is part of the all-stars backing Helen on this album, they are Terry Edwards, Robert Rotifer, Winston Blissett, Gina Birch, Lester Square and Jack Hayter.
The album opens with the trumpet blasts the intro to Three Cheers For Toytown if only we could all live in toytown, buying the same things as each other, this has a lovely pared back chamber indie feel, Helen tries to bring back the good old, bad old days, when she would be playing gigs all over the place.
The Ginger Line is a commuter's anthem, gentle reflections of who she shares a train with on her morning commute, this almost feels like it should have a Victoria Wood style video to go with it.
Reaching For Hope seems far more difficult to do these days, but Helen makes clear no matter how small you feel, you can and should find the strength to ask the right question and still have some hope, her choir of backing singers keep things nice and relaxed.
Metaforte is a short message to someone she let get both into her bed and her head, and what this did to the pair of them.
It Wasn't Me no of course it wasn't, the denial, the simple statement that it is so often so hard to believe, carefully sung and played, the emphasis in all the right places, Helen does her best to convince us she's innocent, even if he wasn't.
Almost There the eternal question is asked in intriguing ways, where is this journey leading us, what's in that box, will she find that portal to a glorious past, almost like she needs to visit that fancy dress shop alongside Mr Benn to transport her to that special place once more.
Sixties Guy is someone we've all met and spent time with, someone who would have been a real swinger back in the 60's at all the right places and events, the guitar has a Tropicalia feel to take us downtown once more, in praise of that mysterious Sixties Guy.
Puppet has the marionette being moved by those fine lines of silk, she seeks out the puppet master to investigate the art, such a beautifully understated backing.
The Margaux Interlude leads us into the world of the Spy who is sitting nondescriptly in the airport lounge, a dark tale unfolds despite the beauty of the music, that plane is leaving for foreign parts that her Spy has a mission to go to.
The Porter Rose At Dawn to get to work on time, this is a charming evocation of the life of a Porter at a grand hotel, none of the underhand stuff happening, only apparently the hotel has 600 floors so I hope the lift is working.
The album closes with Send In The Detectives as things have gone awry, not sure if she wants Cagney & Lacy or Starsky & Hutch or if she prefers English detectives and wants Dalgleish's help in sorting out this mess.
Find out more at https://helenmcc.bandcamp.com/album/showtunes-from-the-shadows https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063544391942 http://mccookerybook.com/
