Graham Gouldman (ex-10 CC) - Love And Work (Deluxe Edition) (2020)

Late 2012 saw a flurry of activity from 10cc, including the release of an excellent career-spanning box set called Tenology, but perhaps the most noteworthy development on this front was the release of Love and Work, Graham Gouldman's first album in 12 years. Gouldman dedicates Love and Work to his late friend and Wax partner Andrew Gold and that isn't just a matter of sentiment; the album pares back Gouldman's lingering eccentricities and focuses entirely on his precision popcraft, a skill that's been at the foundation of his music since the Hollies. Here, the vibe is gentle and reflective but never melancholy, the songs are sculpted but never fussy, the melodies unfurl with an elegant grace. All these qualities speak to Gouldman's status as a pop veteran, one who is comfortable with his legacy and where he resides now, but the remarkable thing about Love and Work is how it builds upon what Gouldman has done before. Much of this sounds as if it could have been a soft rock hit between 1977 and 1982, an era when McCartney-derived pop often hit the charts, so it has a familiarity but it also has a freshness due to how Gouldman refuses to chase after a nonexistent hit. He's simply making artful, exceptionally crafted pop, which is more than enough to turn Love and Work into something of a small gem.