Charlie Dore - Cuckoo Hill

Whoever has the unfortunate feat of marketing Dore's latest album to the masses should kill themselves. It would be easier than trying to pass this off as credible country/folk music. Whoever told her it would be a good idea to play live Bill Hicks clips at the end of a song dedicated to him - kill yourself. An abysmal attempt to honour the legend with 'When Bill Hicks Died' results in the poor man spinning in his grave, and the hapless listener cringing. It would be a lie to say the rest of the album carried any weight, considering she likes to sing about being barefoot – a lot. Any endeavors to say anything of importance, such as Captain of Industry, a song about the pitfalls of egocentrism of corporations and people alike, only serve to highlight her weak song writing capabilities. If this review as yet has failed to deter, then you should know that she has written hits for the likes of Tina Turner, Celine Dion and Lisa Stansfield. Enough said. [Suzanne Mitchell]