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''Lady's Bridge'' is the fifth studio album from musician Richard Hawley, released on 20 August 2007 in the UK and on 9 October 2007 in the US. The album follows his 2005 Mercury Music Prize-nominated album ''Coles Corner''. It is named after the landmark location of Lady's Bridge in Hawley's hometown of Sheffield, an old bridge over the River Don that historically connected the rich and poor parts of the town. Hawley told ''Uncut'' magazine that "the title is a metaphor too; it's about leaving the past behind".〔 The cover features a photograph, taken by Martin Parr, of Hawley and his guitar at the Club 60 music venue in Sheffield as a tribute to his father Dave who had died of lung cancer earlier that year: Dave Hawley had been a blues guitarist at the club in his youth, playing alongside Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker. The song "Dark Road" originally appeared as a B-side to Hawley's "Born Under a Bad Sign" single. "Roll River Roll" is used as the theme song for the dark British sitcom ''Getting On''. A special edition of the album with a bonus DVD was also released. The album was certified gold for sales of 100,000 copies in the UK on 11 June 2010.〔(BPI searchable database )〕 ==Critical reception== ''Lady's Bridge'' was very favourably received by most critics. AllMusic said the album was "as moving, tender, and literate as its predecessor, without the least bit of formula or pretension applied... Ultimately, ''Lady's Bridge'' is a sad kind of record that doesn't leave one depressed... () proves that ''Cole's Corner'' (''sic'') was no one-off, and dare it be said, this surpasses the previous album in diversity, depth, and elegance without ever sounding false".〔 BBC Music said that "''Lady's Bridge'' is an utterly lovely, timeless album that Hawley can be proud of, and deserves to further his cause in becoming a proper national treasure".〔 Drowned in Sound was similarly won over, stating that "as a follow-up to a wonderful record in ''Coles Corner'', then, Hawley's latest set more than holds up. It's arguably his most varied collection yet... Nobody was expecting a bad record, but a few people might be surprised by the exceptional pedigree of Richard Hawley's fifth full-length."〔 ''The Guardian'' said "this fifth album of easy south Yorkshire nostalgia - stuck in a lush, late-50s groove of twinkly pianos and Disney strings - should rankle. Magically, it doesn't... This is music to connect the generations: beautiful, moving pop at its best."〔 ''NME'' stated that "''Lady's Bridge'' is an album that has moments that won't be bettered this year or any other... At worst, some might accuse it of being clever pastiche. But pastiche is hollow, whereas Hawley's the real deal: his heart is all there.〔 ''Uncut'' said that the album "sounds as if it has been decanted from a time when disc jockeys wore dinner jackets, and a gentleman in trouble might soothe his troubled heart with a stroll along the banks of the canal. Not that Hawley needs to change. While he still sings like a kinder, sadder Jarvis Cocker would, perhaps after an encounter with his karaoke uncle, he does it with such sincerity that it seems churlish to resist."〔 MusicOMH considered the album to be "a continuation of the Mercury-nominated ''Coles Corner'' - lush orchestration, melancholic, wistful ballads - but with an added edge... its this pleasing variety to the songs that make this Hawley's strongest album to date..." and concluding that "''Lady's Bridge'' is a wonderful album that will only confirm and enhance that burgeoning reputation".〔 Pitchfork was a dissenting voice, believing that "following ''Coles Corner'', it's... a little harder to be totally taken in by (album )... It begins to feel less like appropriation than note-perfect recreation... There's been no journey, no emotional progress, and little emotional payoff. For an album and artist so otherwise focused, the effect winds up more soporific than satisfying, however stylish and serene."〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Lady's Bridge (album)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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