Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Charles William Ashworth, otherwise known as Charlie Peacock, has long been an impossible-to-pin-down eclectic these 15 years or more, continually reinventing himself musically while producing albums and writing songs in seemingly any style required of him. Now with his own label he is able to explore his musical passions with aplomb and, as the sleevenote tells us, "this...is a fun house mirror of all the music I've ever admired and loved: quirky jazz, noisy, cranky guitars, pop singles, world music, old school analogue treatments and more." Add to that list blue-eyed soul. Charlie's Smokey Robinson-ish voice can squeeze maximum meaning out of his lyrical musings. There's much here to thrill. On "Insult Like The Truth" over a sampled, neo-Led Zeppelin riff Charlie intones, "I've railed against a mountain with a pick axe and a file" with telling passion while Tom Howard's Middle Eastern string arrangement, Tony Miracle's keyboard colourations and Jerry McPherson's exotic bouzouki parts make a riveting listen. If the latter is a tad too avant-garde try "Rocket", one of Charlie's best songs for years. He sings of a sin-racked friend concluding with the telling lines. "When I've finished my little song/Maybe I'll love mercy more than being right."

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