Chris T-T follows the single “A-Z” from earlier this month with “Capital”, an emphatic and triumphant full stop to his London trilogy that crackles with perfectly-crafted pop songs and cutting observations on modern urban life.

In much the same vein that Nick Cave and even Midnight Oil wrote about their beloved Australia, Chris T-T observes instantly recognisable characters and situations with great affection, yet focuses on the dark underbelly of the establishment and society as a whole, bringing it all uncomfortably close to home and wrapped in three minute pop songs.

Opener “(We Are) The King of England” has the same kind of cantering, happy-go-lucky pace that Belle & Sebastian have made their own, but with a punkier, more frightening edge that hints at an all-powerful controlling force below the surface.  Single “A-Z” (reviewed earlier this month) continues on a similar theme, a news broadcast in the anti-establishment style of Michael Moore but delivered with the spitting bitterness of Jonny Rotten.  It’s not until “Black Music” does the pace start to change and Chris T-T’s eclectic legs really start to stretch; sadly, it is the only example of him trying too hard on the album, an almost spoken-word enviro-anthem laid over electro beats that at once seems jarring  and unnecessary.

It’s only with the fuzzy guitars of “Where Were You?” that the real high points of “Capital” begin to shine through - the kooky but serious-as-cancer sing-along of “None of Them Gives a Fuck About The Future”, the gently-seething “This Gun is Not a Gun” and the painfully honest and disturbing “Ankles” (a fucked-up lullaby if ever you heard one) particularly lodge in your psyche, their furious, making-a-point lyrics at beautiful odds with perfect tunesmithery.  Closing track “4am…” sees Chris T-T sign off with an epic adios to the city; a charging, grimy ode to the cost of human greed and one final “I-told-you-so” as he whirls to a finish amid swathes of feedback.

“Capital” won’t be to the taste of all at HRH, but those who appreciate a well-written song, an emotive, hard-to-hear subject matter and a genuinely talented English songwriter will not be disappointed.

Let us know your views on Capital

Track Listing

We Are The King Of England
Let's Do Some Damage
A-Z
Black Music
Where Were You
Old Men
Balletschool Pianist
This Gun Is Not A Gun
None Of Them Give A Fuck About The Future
Ankles
Box To Hide In
4AM (The Day The Earth Stood Still Part 2)