A career defining shot of brilliance from Baxter Dury that eclipses any of his previous work. Out on the 12th of September.

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Baxter’s last album, I Thought I Was Better Than You, was reasonably reviewed but to me it felt like a bit of a low point for the artist. It wasn’t terrible, but it was as though a few chips on his shoulder had wormed their way to the front of the song writing brain and forced their way out. Whilst it felt like Baxter was trying to play down how much criticism bothered him it actually suggested a lot of things had got under his skin. It wasn’t fun in the normal way a Baxter Dury album tends to be. Thankfully, this new album is not just a return to form, but a career defining highlight for the 53-year-old.

For long time Baxter fans nothing here will seem out of place. There are spoken word sections, there are the beats that underpin many of the tracks, there is a lot of support from the female vocalists he works with, there is humour, there is Europop and there is gentle lothario-ism. It is just that EVERYTHING IS DIALLED UP TO THE MAX. Paul Epworth needs a lot of credit here. The producer who has worked with Florence + The Machine, Bloc Party and Adele approached Baxter straight after he finished his 2024 set on the Park Stage at Glastonbury. They met up in November and put the album together in intense three-hour bursts throughout December and January. He has helped Baxter Dury get out the absolute best version of himself. This album is genuinely like Charlie XCX meets the Pet Shop Boys at their most dancefloor, with Baxter’s droll poetry and delivery over the top. Whilst a few of you might be shuddering at that idea, trust me – it is an absolutely brilliant collision.

The album kicks off with the stunning single and title track ‘Allbarone’. No, Allbarone is not some mythologised version of England like Albion. It is simply a play on All Bar One, an English bar chain that describes itself as ‘the place for laid-back brunches, speciality drinks, lazy lunches and nights to remember – it’ll feel like happy hour, every hour.’ Here genius Euro-dance beats collide with a tale of broken promises, sitting in the rain and considering what went wrong. It is a superb dancefloor banger. It sounds classic yet utterly contemporary all at once.

Just one monster dancefloor track would be great on an album… this one goes straight into ‘Schadenfreude’ which is just as brilliant. Has Baxter had a lot of heartbreak recently or is he just great at imagining painful relationship situations? “I was in a hotel in Stockholm waiting for you to call, but you were off with that doughnut, laughing behind my back. Then I read a bitter review about the band you were in. To be honest I got schadenfreude.” What could be a tale of pure bitterness soars with the pounding, Giorgio Moroder-esque, synth backing.

Then we change it up a bit with a tale of “Chiswick’s Kubla Khan.” Other than being the “son of the prodigal” it is unclear why they are being compared to Kubla Khan, are they a successful businessman, leader, or some kind of gangster? I suspect a wannabe gangster, there are a few other hints of low life types scattered throughout the album. Again, it all fizzes along to a great soundtrack of alternately scuzzy and twinkling synths. ‘Alpha Dog’ starts off like Kylie Minogue or Sophie Ellis-Bextor are about to slaughter an entire dance foor with their disco-brilliance. The bass line is immense, Nile Rodgers would love it. This is less synth heavy, more like a straight 70s disco tune. You will find yourself grooving along without even thinking about it.

‘The Other Me’ slows it all down a little. I know Baxter gets annoyed by comparisons to his dad but I genuinely can’t think of a track where he has sounded more like Ian Dury on the vocals. It is great.

Another instantly nagging bit of synth brilliance introduces ‘Hapsburg.’ Baxter’s voice is heavily treated at points on this one but it works SOOOO WELLL. “Hapsburg lips” is a reference to a prominent lower jaw and an overhanging lip. The suggestion was that the Hapsburg’s ended up with these distinctive features through inbreeding. Sounds horrific, however here Baxter (or his character in this story) seem to be significantly drawn to a female with “Hapsburg lips.”

Single ‘Return of the Sharpheads’ absolutely zings. “You’re just a bunch of soul f*****s who rate yourselves. You’re just a bunch of soul f*****s in beige lapels,” and then, “The return of the Sharpheads, the dainty fingered c***s.” There is so much to unpick on the lyrics of this one.

There is an absolute insistence to ‘Mockingjay’ that will not be ignored. It is somehow the strongest delivery from Baxter on the album, given the strength of each track that is saying something. Yet again the beat has you tapping and moving along.

The last track is ‘Mr W4,’ presumably a reference to the London postcode that covers Chiswick and Gunnersbury amongst others. It refers to a fantasist, a nylon God. Is this Baxter breaking down himself, or another creation? It has some of the treated vocals as in ‘Hapsburg.’

At nine tracks this ends so suddenly. A part of me found myself craving more, yet you have to respect that this is nine tracks of perfection. Why spoil it with a track that doesn’t hit the same standards? If you haven’t listened to Baxter Dury or haven’t rated him before you need to hear this. This is driven, essential listening. It is a Europop monster. Who knew that going to All Bar One could ever be this thrilling?

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Preorder the CD at: https://amzn.to/45QPt19