British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Iain Hornal has performed at Wembley Stadium, the Grammy Awards, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and every venue mentioned in the chorus of Wings’ ‘Rock Show’. But unless you’re one of the lucky superfans that discovered his two self-released solo albums, you’ve probably never heard of him.
As an in-demand session musician Hornal has had the great fortune to work with some of the biggest artists of all time. He is a long-standing touring member of both art-pop giants 10cc and Jeff Lynne’s ELO. He has toured with Yes (playing and singing the parts of the late Chris Squire), Take That, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Paul Young.
Between extended periods of life on the road, Hornal flexes his creative muscles in the studio. The songs of his other band Big Horizon (featuring four other members of Jeff Lynne’s ELO) are mostly stories and character studies set to feel-good chord changes, inspired by Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers.
By contrast, his solo songwriting comes from a more autobiographical place. Sitting somewhere between the crafted songsmithery of Tom Petty and Crowded House, and the widescreen art-pop of Brian Wilson and David Bowie.
A kitchen-sink blast of summery pop rock – loud guitars, chugging piano, honking glam-rock sax, hooks aplenty and harmonies for days – its influences are unashamedly right there on its proverbial sleeve.
Hornal’s songs are not only infectiously melodic but also have an unpretentious lyrical depth. Spanning relational and spiritual themes, sometimes stinging and cynical, often concealing celebratory themes, the songs reward repeated listening.
This is evidenced in lead single from the album, ‘Positive People’, a sax-laden, glam-rocker which is written from the point of view of a charismatic but disingenuous sales person.
Elsewhere on the album, there’s the Phil Spector meets Elvis Costello upbeat opening of ‘Little Bit More’, ‘If It Were You’, a co-write with 10cc’s Graham Gouldman (who also features on the track), a straight up rocker in ‘What Do You Care’, as well as a joyful break-up song as a closer, ‘Over And Out’, a song which Iain has been performing since the mid-noughties.
Return To The Magic Kingdom is a fun listen; this is an uplifting singalong album that you blast in the morning to put you in a good mood for the rest of the day.
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