Richard Thompson's 'Hippies, Thugs and Heroes' Is a Late-Career Masterclass in Songcraft
Fifty-eight years into making records, Richard Thompson has done the thing almost nobody manages: released a twentieth studio album that the critical establishment agrees is among his best. The aggregate numbers are startling — a Metascore of 96 across five reviews, and a 92 at Album of the Year. Mojo and Record Collector both filed perfect scores, Record Collector calling it “his best for some while” and noting that “a dozen tracks confirm Thompson favours quality over quantity.” Uncut was blunter still: “a latter-day classic.”
The Sonic Breakdown
The Production & Mix
The Low-End: Thompson co-produced with James Frazee at Hobosound Studio in Weehawken, New Jersey, a short drive from home, and the band is the same one that cut 2024’s Ship to Shore — Taras Prodaniuk on bass, Michael Jerome on drums. That continuity shows. Prodaniuk plays underneath the vocal rather than against it, and because most songs were captured in two to four takes, the rhythm section has the slightly-ahead push of people playing together rather than to a grid.
The Spatial Dynamics: David Mansfield’s second guitar and fiddle open the frame wide, and this time there are horns and accordions in the arrangements — unusual colour for a Thompson record. Bandcamp Daily’s Jim Allen heard the band in “an almost scary symbiosis with him,” and singled out “a couple of stunning but relatively short explosions,” which is the correct way to describe how Thompson now deploys a solo: briefly, and with intent.
Standout Performance
Zara Phillips on backing vocals. Allen described Thompson “locking into a luminous harmony” with her, and it’s the record’s recurring warmth — the one element that pushes against the gloom.
Why It’s Certified
Allen praised the “world-class songcraft that occupies every moment here,” and that’s the whole case. “Unsung Hero,” “Stringer,” “Make Believe You Don’t Know Me” and “Pipe Dreams” drew repeated notices; lead single “Cocaine Walking, Booze Talking” is the snarl. Classic Rock’s Pat Carty found the heartbreak songs the real payload and signed off with “a master at work.” Hard to improve on that. Certified great.