As a perfect accompaniment for an Easter weekend where most of us will probably have far too much time on our hands comes Phil Hooley with "Maybe Later".
With a sound recorded so beautifully clear and simple to seem almost effortless, this is just the perfect way to wile away some time. Having spent the last few years railing against the current trend of adding fake finger clicking to records it is so refreshing to once again hear the real thing, as we do in the opening few bars, along with a warm double bass, and a lovely guitar line.
When Phil joins. he has the timbre perfectly befitting someone considering all the things in life that he could be doing yet for whatever reason isn't.
Like many of us he dares to dream and like most of us he finds a reason to procrastinate
"I might release my masterpiece to critical acclaim
A work of art, straight from the heart
Hello to fortune and fame
Maybe I could, maybe I should
Maybe I might, but maybe not tonight
Maybe later"
When joined by percussion and a jazzy piano sound that is a sheer delight this simply could not be any better.
As the song develops there are hints as to what might be behind this malaise while detailing his as yet unwritten book
"the story so far just ends in this bar, like the story of me and you"
There is the traditional excuse that we all have
"One day one day I'll do these things I say
One day one day it'll all fall into place
One day one day but not today!"
The final verse neatly ties up any loose ends in what is a quite masterful piece of songwriting that is hugely enjoyable.
"A trip to the moon, anytime soon is not on my horizon
Meet someone new - forget about you - would be just as surprising"
Signing off with a whistle he completes a truly joyful four minutes,
Phil's debut album to "Songs From The Back Room" is set to follow in May