Tom McRae & The Standing Band - Did I Sleep And Miss The Border (Deluxe Edition) (2015)

Fifteen years on from a debut that earned Brit and Mercury nominations, Tom McRae is an enduring outsider. The son of Christian missionaries, this songwriter from Essex decamped to the US a decade ago and is now based in France (he enjoys a loyal European following). McRae’s seventh album has a fire and brimstone flavour, and in his mid-forties he’s acquired the malevolent eloquence of Tom Waits and Nick Cave. On The High Life, he sings in a conspiratorial whisper over a rackety rhythm, while the majestic Americana of Christmas Eve, 1943 has him hoping for “one last shot of whisky, one last shot of lead” before descending to hell. We Are the Mark is even better – an apocalyptic protest tune with strings. Middle age and exile have only sharpened his songwriting.

TRACKLIST
1. The High Life
2. The Dogs Never Sleep
3. Christmas Eve,1943
4. Expecting The Rain
5. Let Me Grow Old With You.
6. We Are The Mark.
7. My Desert Bride
8. Lover, Still You.
9. Hoping Against Hope

Deluxe Edition:
10. Only Losers Fight Clean
11. Out Of A Clear Blue Sky
12. The Breeze Blows Cold
13. Happy New Year
14. What A Way To Win A War
15. Hey Tim, Hey Arnie