"Fatal Mistakes" by DEL AMITRI (28 May 2021 UK Cooking Vinyl CD and LP Released) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Lonely I Have Been So Long..."

I've always loved Del Amitri's particular brand of Faces-like Rock and Slim Chance boozy-Folk tunes (used to play them to death in Reckless on the staff play much to the annoyance of some and religiously collected their CD singles with all those tasty unreleased B-sides).

But like many fans that have waited too much time for this album, my immediate reaction is that "Fatal Mistakes" is only good in places when it really should have been storming all over. Here's a brief breakdown of the details...

1. You Can't Go Back 

2. All Hail Blind Love 

3. Musicians And Beer 

4. Close Your Eyes And Think Of England 

5. Losing The Will To Die

6. Otherwise 

7. It's Feelings 

8. I'm So Scared 

9. Mockingbird Copy Me Now 

10. Missing Person 

11. Second Staircase 

12. Lonely

13. Nation Of Caners 

The CD for "Fatal Mistakes" by DEL AMITRI was UK released Friday, 28 May 2021 on Cooking Vinyl COOKCD780 (Barcode 711297528022) with a gatefold card sleeve and foldout lyric/photos insert (45:54 minutes total playing time). There is also a 13-Track VINYL LP variant on COOKLP780 (Barcode 711297528015) released on the same day that comes with a download code to acquire the music digitally. 

Produced and Mixed by Dan Austin

Recorded March 2020 at Vada Studio

Mastered by Paul McGeechan 

DEL AMITRI is:

ANDY ALSTON

JUSTIN CURRIE 

KRIS DOLLIMORE

IAIN HARVIE

ASH SOAN 

Tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10,11 and 13 written by Justin Currie

Tracks 2, 7 and 9 written by Justin Currie and Iain Harvie

Track 12 written by Justin Currie and Kris Dollimore 

We all know Justin Currie needs to get out more, his lyrics dark as black holes from which no light escapes - so tracks like "Losing The Will To Live" and "All Hail Blind Love" are hard to take let alone fix yourself to listen too again on purpose. The thudding and teeny-bit-tedious lyric-marathon "Nation Of Caners" also ends the record on a strangely sour note.

But then you get brilliance like "I'm So Scared Of Dying" that has a fabulous drunk-with-hurt feel to it, even if it fades out too soon. The same goes for the burning-through-my-mind "Second Staircase" and the acoustic mocking of the moon in "Lonely". Both the catchy "You Can't Go Back" followed by "It's Feelings" are the obvious Radio-friendly singles but again - they needed to be ace when they're just somehow lacking that killer edge of old.

Nice to hear them again for damn sure – but even after a good few spins now, I just wish I wanted to play this latest load of misery guts more rather than just endure it. And I dare say that will go for so many...