– THE CHARM OFFENSIVE –

This week, Channel 4 aired a Celebrity First Dates episode in which Ulrika Jonsson – the weather presenter whose TV appearances in the 90s got men across the UK all ‘hot and bothered’ for all the unintended reasons – went on a date with a ‘regular Joe’ divorcee from Bristol.

Imagine being West Countryman, Paul’s Ex, seeing that. “We split and now he’s bloody been paired up with sexy Swedish siren, Ulrika facking Jonsson.”

I was a bit like the former Mrs. Paul when I heard this new G. Love & Special Sauce track.

In many ways, Garrett Dutton, Jimmy “Jazz” Prescott and Jeffrey “Houseman” Clemens were my (slightly weird, particularly hairy) first loves; my adolescence spent almost inseparably with these Rodeo Clowns and their Cold Beverages.

But, as all things must past, so too had G. Love and I grown apart over the years and the final straw had been 2017’s ‘Coming Home for Christmas’ album; a truly detestable dirge of a record which had – I thought – put the final nail in the coffin of my relationship with the Superhero Brother.

Alas, ‘Go Crazy’ is the Ulrika-ka-ka-ka that’s shacked up with my former flame and got me jealously wanting back in.

Featuring the production talents of the similarly sublime Keb Mo’, the song is a familiar mix of Philly funk grooves and a signature singalong chorus… in many ways a return to form so enrapturing I could even be convinced to forgive ‘Christmas Cookies’.

‘Go Crazy’ is set to be featured on a new album entitled ‘The Juice’ which will be released in 2020.

MORE FROM THIS WEEK’S MIX

HEMLOCK ERNST & KENNY SEGAL: DOWN
MATTHEW HALSALL: DISTANT LAND
MANU DELGADO: ZEITGEBER
ELSA HEWITT: TINY DANCER

P.S. You can find all of the tracks reviewed above in the 45 Revolutions per Minute playlist below or click to access the 45 RPM Playlist on Spotify itself.

If you like what you hear (or even if you don’t), please engage in dialogue with me @45rpm_Reviews on Twitter. And, if you’d like to receive updates weekly, please subscribe to the email list to get these recommendations sent to your inbox weekly.

– SV –