Wry as ever,
Chris Difford dubbed his second solo album
The Last Temptation of Chris -- a sly play on words that is certainly characteristic of this master lyricist, who only gets subtler and sharper as the years go by. Subtle is surely the name of the game on
The Last Temptation, as the entire record -- co-written with former Bible frontman
Boo Hewerdine -- is a warm, low-key affair, one that feels well-worn and lived in. It's relaxed music, never calling attention to itself and always focusing attention on
Difford's remarkably precise short stories and vignettes, capturing the feel of forgotten memories and places remembered, as well as middle-aged travails like reversing a vasectomy on the aptly titled "Reverso." While
The Last Temptation isn't quite immediate -- it's only upon repeated listens that it's possible to appreciate the level of craft, particularly in
Difford's words but also in
Hewerdine's sympathetic music -- it's also welcoming, easing a listener into its small, precisely created world, one where the stories get better the more that they are heard. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine