King Of The Beach

After the commercial disaster that was La Passione (both the film and Rea's over-indulgent soundtrack) and last year's less than spectacular revisit to the Road To Hell (Part Two) the Middelsboro' bottle blonde returns to yet another familiar theme.

King Of The Beach, as its title suggests, is replete with nostalgically evocative summer imagery and warm, hazy melodies – imagine Don Henley's 'Boys Of Summer' slowed down a tad and spread over an entire album and you've got the picture.

'All Summer Long' the current single and a close relative of his previous hit 'On The Beach' is pleasant enough in a radio-friendly sort of way. The title track is even more typical Chris Rea fare, his lazily assured vocals and meandering slide-guitar over a mid-tempo, reggae-lite rhythm.

But it's the more subdued tracks which predominate here. Among them 'Sail Away' is a gorgeous get-away-from-it all ballad, while 'Still Beautiful' and 'Who Do You Love' yearn for long lost loves over similarly brooding melodies. 'Sandwriting' and 'Waiting for a Blue Sky' pick up the beach boy theme again and only 'Guitar Street' a more bluesy excursion, and 'Mississippi', which broaches Randy Newman territory, depart from the predominant theme.

Rea has an engaging, instantly recognisable voice, he can write strong melodies and is a skilful guitar player. Only thing is, he's done it so many times before in precisely the same manner. If you want more of it, here it is.