Graham Coxon, Happiness in Magazines

Graham Coxon left Blur in 2004, then he made this album, and it's great.

It is instantly likable in a way that Blur never always managed. The overall sound of the album is a mixture between punchy, structured punk and quieter, more emotional songs. In fact, what Coxon seems to have done is taken the sound of Blur's two best songs 'Song 2' and 'The Universal', and built a whole album around these two musical approaches, and it's fantastic.

Apart from the excellent sound of the album, you quickly realise how deft Coxon is at lyric writing. His verses are expressive while being economical and his phrasing always packs a punch, betraying his distinguished musical pedigree. This is expressed most successfully what must be the best song on the album: 'Bittersweet Bundle of Misery' which is an offbeat Mod masterpiece which could stand alongside the best work of Squeeze or Ian Dury.