So easy to warm to and full of steaming depths once you snuggle in, Vinny Peculiar & The Blue Poppies of Ambrosia's new long-player finds the U.K. pop craftsman in his best form yet, a gently swaying encapsulation of slightly left of Beatles songwriting realized with tight, snappy musicianship and good, clean production. If you sport a lil' sonic chub for Robyn Hitchcock, The dB's, Sensations, Billy Bragg, The Feelies or other high quality, post-Byrds fare then King is likely to sweep you up with a sure hand.
The quirkier aspects of Vinny's earlier output are beveled appealingly here, so what shines through is the quality of his singing, playing and tunes. It's almost as if Peculiar relaxed a bit and decided to stop waving his arms with consciously provocative imagery and little tics that draw attention but perhaps don't last in the same way plain old good music presented well can. Sometimes I Feel Like A King is just a pleasure to listen to - no more or less complex than that. That he tips his hat at one of the most under-appreciated songwriting outfits in rock with a sincere cover of the Cowboy Junkies' “Sun Comes Up Its Tuesday Morning" only shows the company he wants to keep. From the jumpy crackly of “Uniform" and “Success" to the thoughtful meander of “Success" to the curled-lip snarl of “To Hell With Fashion," Vinny Peculiar has fully matured into an artist anyone smitten with great pop will adore.
