He may have left Terrorvision behind, but some things never change in Tony Wright’s world. ‘Don’t stop me rockin’, ‘cause that’s when I start to hurt,’ he sings in the story-so-far narrative of Self Portrait, complete with familiar references to whiskey and tequila.
Having said that, this is a notably more subdued collection than what went before, the songs by and large distinguished by the acoustic guitar of Milly Evans.
Wright is in reflective mood throughout, bluesy and pensive on You Changed, cutting a mellow country rug on Roll Over and channelling 60s Dylan on Little Things. Clearly, making the record has been an act of therapy; “The album touches on the searching and uncertainty of daring to back into life,” he says in the press bumph.
Yet, for all his hushed tones and softer hues, Wright has still managed to fashion a set of songs that are, in their own way, as anthemic and as rallying as the high watermarks of his old band. It’s just that the setting has changed from cacophonous rock club to campfire singalong, the savvy turns of phrase and wit of yore still evident, but delivered in a pleasing and often disarmingly confessional mindset./o:p
