Graham Parker & the Goldtops Last Chance to Learn the Twist LP

British rock legend Graham Parker returns with his first album of new material since 2018. Last Chance to Learn the Twist finds the veteran singer-songwriter in top form, offering up thirteen compositions with exquisitely tasteful backing by The Goldtops (bassist Simon Edwards, drummer Jim Russell, guitarist Martin Belmont and keyboard player Geraint Watkins) and frequent contributions from the Easy Access Orchestra horns and backing vocal duo The Lady Bugs. It's a dazzlingly diverse album: sweet, classic soul grooves and roots rock sounds dominate, framing lyrics dripping with Parker's vintage "Wicked Wit" (as one song title has it) and his inimitable, impassioned vocal delivery. Two early singles have hinted at the record's depth: the devastatingly stark "We Did Nothing" with its heartbreaking examination of the cost of inaction on both the personal and global stages, and the delightfully playful reggae-tinged "Them Bugs." The beautifully bittersweet ballad "It Mattered to Me" is set to follow, while the folk-informed meditation on mortality "Last Stretch of the Road" has proven an instant fan favorite at recent solo performances. But there's much more waiting to be discovered on the full album, which is at once one of Parker's most relaxed and boldest statements to date.