(Mute) ****
Even Alex Turner thought ex-Pulp/Longpigs guitarist Hawley had lost out when Arctic Monkeys took the Mercury Prize from under his nose last year, but he doesn't seem to mind.
Coles Corner dripped with the kind of quality slice-of-life musical observation that Turner will one day doubtless excel at and the follow-up is just as well endowed with quality.
Like its predecessor, it's named after a Sheffield landmark and could well mark Hawley, completing his transition from shadows to bright lights.
In lesser hands, his bittersweet songs could well be cabaret staples - think Scott Walker covering Jim Reeves - but tunes like Lady Solitude repel any suggestion of schmaltz.
Lady's Bridge is a rounded, beautifully rendered album that deserves a place in your heart.
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