Raised on a rich diet of Billy Joel’s piano and a wealth of power-pop (Jellyfish, Raspberries, Badfinger), Nashville-based Dixon’s debut solo album after a decade or so fronting a trio is awash with hooks, harmonies and melodies that refuse to budge from your heart. The twist is that he brings a little bit of the country music capital to the party, notably on a duet with Alison Krauss: Even The Rain.
Other famous names lend a helping hand, One Spark featuring co-writes with, among others, Gary Clark (Danny Wilson), James Walsh (Starsailor) and Semisonic mainstay Dan Wilson. All have a healthy track record when it comes to fashioning catchy tunes, but there’s enough of Dixon’s own personality on display to convince us that he’s the star of the show.
The chiming chords of Release Me echo with the splendour of a great lost McCartney opus; the sepia-toned country grandeur of I Can See You Shine (with Walsh on harmonies) suggest old west power ballad; and the jazzy Running On Fumes is what might have happened if Paul Simon had hitched his wagon to Steely Dan. Smart, savvy and utterly seductive.
