Kevin Hewick - Such Hunger For Love (2022)

Hewick fit well into the early Cherry Red roster, as he was a quirky singer/songwriter affected by new wave but not in the new wave mainstream. On his sole Cherry Red LP, he offered fragile, obtusely romantic songs, often about uneasy relationships or fantasies about same. His voice hovered on the thin line between melodrama and histrionics, with a slight Marc Bolan-like warble to his voice at the most emotional points. Hewick played all the instruments on the album, which usually amounted to just him and guitar and (except for "Mothers Day") eschewed percussion entirely. It often cemented the impression of an urgent busker, sometimes of a more lounge-y singer, albeit one with artier preciousness than most buskers or lounge balladeers you come across. The entire album's been reissued on the Tender Bruises and Scars compilation, which has Hewick's entire 1980-1983 output, including a couple non-LP singles, the 1983 The Cover Keeps Reality Unreal EP, a compilation appearance, and a 1981 video as an enhanced video track. ~ Richie Unterberger