N.K.-pop

"Heaton remains the go-to chronicler of the Everyman condition, but let's not underplay Abbott's vital contribution as both equal-billing foil and relatable conduit of female perspectives in these songs. Plays not just for today, but for weeks, months and years to come".

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"Released in early 2020, the ambitious double album Manchester Calling was the duo's fourth UK Top Five hit and first to go all the way to number one. The follow-up, N.K-Pop, finds Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott returning to the studio with producer John Williams and the same backing band. A like-minded, generally uplifting, uptempo set (this time comprising a still generous 12 songs), it even opens with a track called "The Good Times." Bright but lyrically wistful, the song looks back - in character - upon the life of a formative sweetheart, while touching briefly upon disco, reggae, and arena rock within a bouncy pop framework".

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"Paul Heaton's resurgence from reduced-circumstances solo act to stadium headliner has been a joy to behold. For his fifth outing with former Beautiful South singer Jacqui Abbott, without retreading old ground, he's not strayed too far from his usual template: beautifully crafted yet unashamedly earthy songs which soar and contemplate at just the right moment".