Edwyn Collins – Home Again

This single, the title track from last year’s well received album, almost may never have made it out as a single – and that would’ve been a massive crime. When I think of Edwyn Collins and his near death experience, I can’t help feeling all sentimental for him and it gives you a little sense of perspective whereby you realise you should really be treasuring such people, rather than just being passé about somebody who wrote the soundtrack to many of your parties, break ups and break downs.

In the same vein as Richard Hawley, Mr Collins shows what an amazing wealth of singer songwriter talent we have in this country. Who needs all of the fashion bands in loud luminous leggings and Flock of Seagulls haircuts, when you’ve got songwriters like this producing some of the most sincere and heartfelt songs this side of the 60’s.

The single tells the tale of discovering and rediscovering the music of his youth and reflecting on where he grew up, something which will resonate with anyone who ever hears a song from their childhood and gets transported all the way back to feeling like a kid all over again. When you think about what he’s been through over the past few years, the song seems even more poignant and heart-rending, and even if he’s not looking for your sympathy, it's impossible to listen to this single without a sense of compassion and relief that one of the greatest British songwriters of the past 30 years is still with us.

Home Again will make you swoon, maybe cry, and maybe even make you want to get in touch with some of the people you take for granted or that you’ve never heard from in ages, fantastic stuff.


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