There are few songwriters to ever surpass the gifts of Michael Head, either on his own, with The Pale Fountains, Shack or The Strands. His latest venture alongside his Red Elastic Band starts to unwrap the fifth decade of his artistry with some of his finest work.

 His 2022 album ‘Dear Scott’ made cohesively in the company of producer Bill Ryder-Jones, is the luminescent result of Head’s star collapsing before morphing to illuminate the skies twice as brightly as before. A dizzying constellation of carefully-crafted songs, pin-sharp playing and deft, life-bringing production, the title refers back to a golden age of show business, writing and movie-making, a million miles from a pandemic-shrouded Liverpool that captivated Head in recent years. It’s a place of escape. It is a rewarding journey, made special by its ocean-deep depths.