The Last Temptation Of Chris

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.