Words by Hannah Clemens//Illustration by Lisa Romero
Only a few minutes into Born In the U.K., it becomes clear that the title is used without irony. In fact, it would seem that nothing on this album is meant to be ironic, and much of the first seven songs would be hopelessly trite if they weren’t so utterly heartfelt. Sheer enthusiasm can make or break an album, and it has an awful lot to do with the overall success of Born In the U.K. The title track is a bouncy tribute to the effect of British punk on national pride, “Welcome to the Overground” is an Andrew Lloyd Weber choral affirmation, and “Nothing’s Gonna Change Your Mind” showcases the Beatles’ influence on Damon Gough, as well as his own obvious influence on Coldplay. This is, quite simply, the most British album I’ve heard in a very long time.

It’s also utterly charming, and if the rest of Badly Drawn Boy’s music sounds like this I will gladly purchase his entire back catalogue. There are a lot of bands and artists out there (The Decemberists, Murder By Death, Midlake) that draw their sound from the past, but few seem to take quite as much joy in it as Gough does. It’s clear in the danceable twang of “The Way Things Used to Be” – a turning point in the album when the piano-soaked sentimentality gets paired with upbeat lyrics and more diverse instrumentation. It’s evident in “Walk You Home,” a song that could easily performed by Van Morrison without any need to change the accompaniment. It’s even clear in the stereo conversation at the beginning of “Intro/Swimming Pool, Pt. 1,”
a Pink Floyd-esque musing on the importance of being proud of where you come from.

There aren’t any earth-shatteringly original ideas or masterful turns of phrase in this album, but that’s okay; the sincerity of Gough’s delivery is enough to sell these songs. Whether or not he was really out to prove that he was born in the U.K. (and has absorbed all its musical history has to offer), he’s a convincing bloke.

Badly Drawn Boy