Still

"Decades into his career, Richard Thompson remains a perennial critical favorite, favorite of other musicians, and cult hero; his guitar work (hybrid picking, bizarre tuning, and soloing that never feels too self-indulgent) is unparalleled and his songwriting taut, brainy, dry and dark. "Still" is no departure for Thompson - it's a solid, stark record, expanding on and refining themes that wend their way through his significant oeuvre. But it brings a further depth and resonance to territory that will be familiar to longtime fans, and it's vivid enough to serve as an entry point for those new to his work. For a veteran like Thompson, it's hard to ask for more than that".

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"The set starts with a slow, sturdy ballad of hope and change, She Never Could Resist a Winding Road, then settles into stories of pained love and sexual frustration that will, I suspect, sound even better live. The best is left for last: Dungeons for Eyes is a furious, personal-political study of a former killer turned respectable politician ("Am I supposed to shake his hand?"), while Guitar Heroes is another autobiographical piece with inspired musical references to Django Reinhardt, Les Paul and Hank Marvin. Thompson is still unique".

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"It's a cracker, actually. How does he do it? ... Thompson's intensity, hunger and imagination seems to regenerate with painless ease ... This is Thompson in classic pose. Electric guitar firing on all cylinders. Vocals yearning and strong. Songs alittle bit barbed, a little bit overwrought. Melodies that envelop you at will. A small band giving everything to the cause. Choruses that engage and uplift. At least half a dozen tracks sound like instant classisc ... Indeed, this is very much an album for lovers of the guitar hero side of the vast Thompson canon - and when he cuts loose (...) the surge is electrifying and irresistible".