Graham Coxon - The Kiss Of Morning
Reviewed by Q, November 2002

The song titles 'Bitter Tears', 'Mountain Of Regret' and 'Song For The Sick' indicate that Graham Coxon is working through some heavy issues on his fourth solo album in as many years. Musically, it contains the same lilting country ballads, hillbilly blues and fuzzy guitar workouts as Coxon's previous work, but now these are shot through with a startling assault of anger, hate and vitriolic bile. No wonder he's become estranged Blur camp. On album closer 'Good Times' he's left mournfully repeating the coda "I want you to remember the good times" over a haunting piano dirge, as if his fortunes have been well and truly spent. Only the relatively jolly 'Escape Song' is worth excavating from the morass.

 (2/5)                                                                                                Sarah Cohen