Last year's 'Volume 1' found Paul Cook & The Chronicles in a reflective mood, going over what might have beens and trying to figure out where it went wrong. Was it his fault or just not meant to be? 'Volume 2' picks up exactly where the first installment left off, with Cook's introspective songwriting detailing more lost love and tales of heartbreak; you just wish the guy would get a break in life. There are only so many knocks a man can take and only so many late night tales of sadness and despair to be written, but if anyone's capable of making each of these songs as moving as the last it's Paul Cook, the reason being that rather than wallow in depression he ploughs ahead, looking, or maybe just hoping, for the sign of a light at the end of the tunnel.
We're not sure if lines like album opener "It's cold outside your window, but warm between your thighs" are a touch creepy and admit to potential stalking or not, but the song, 'Ships Pass', laments the ending of a relationship in a quite beautiful way, with Cook singing "I will find somebody" and concluding "we both wanted something we're not likely to repeat". It's an ongoing theme that could become tired if it were not for the captivating singing; the harmonies are simple but beautiful and even Cook's voice on its own is one of the most likable in the business. The songs are light too, there isn't the weight of gloom hanging over this album. It may be painful in subject matter but the writing and production are breathtakingly beautiful. "With you it only felt right... I was on your side... the moment is over and so are we, too" doesn't feel miserable, it feels like a pair of big puppydog eyes looking up at you for reassurance.
It's these kind of touches that prevent more tales of broken hearts (there have been millions written in the past) from being stagnant and repetitive; these old-as-time-itself dilemmas sound fresh here. The excellent 'Sweet Nothin'' provides an more upbeat break and stands out as one of the best tracks, the vocals sound heavenly; another moment of optimism is found, in the music if not the lyrics, on the Beatles-ish 'Big Star'. You can feel the genuine pain of disappointment on songs like 'Radar' ("I don't know what to do, I'm not even on your radar"). "I held you far too close" is sung on 'Seven Times'. Whether or not these are true stories or not matters little, they feel real and overwhelmingly personal, and that's one aspect that makes this such a beguiling album. Let's hope that by the time we get to 'Volume 7' the tide has turned and that stunning voice and lightness of touch can be turned to tales of luck instead of the unfortunate, but that none of this wonderful passion is sacrificed in the process. And who knows, maybe things won't seem so bad in the cold light of day.
Paul Cook & The Chronicles' website
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