Malcolm Morley - Lost & Found (2021 Remaster) (2002)

Malcolm Morley, a member of the British band Help Yourself in the early '70s before going on to short stints with Man and Bees Make Honey, recorded this unreleased solo album in 1976. Thought to be lost for 25 years, the master tape was found and the record finally issued in 2002. It's hardly a lost masterpiece, however. It's extremely low-key mid-'70s singer/songwriter rock, heavy on subdued, sad songs about failed love and introspective memories, with echoes of Paul McCartney and (much less often) Bob Dylan. Morley has a nice voice in the McCartney mold, but the songs are blandly ordinary, and the backing is low-energy period fare with a hint of pub rock bonhomie. The packaging is very respectful, though, the liner notes including quotes from Morley about all of the songs.~Richie Unterberger