Richard Thompson – Hippies, Thugs And Heroes (2xLP)

Richard Thompson's Hippies, Thugs and Heroes arrives sixty years after he first emerged with Fairport Convention, and it plays like the work of a songwriter still willing to follow instinct rather than settle into routine. These songs draw on old friends, false gurus, former selves and invented characters, turning the album into a spiritual and psychological inquiry as much as a rock record. That mix of reflection and restlessness feels especially apt for Thompson's 20th solo studio album.

Musically, it refuses to stay in one lane. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" opens with a Byrds-like jangle tied to Thompson's own memories of 1970s spiritual movements and charismatic leaders, while "Everybody's Stealing" brings a rowdy charge and "Stringer" closes things on a bluesier note. "Cocaine Walking, Booze Talking" is a particular showcase, building from sharp storytelling into a splintered psychedelic solo that underlines how central Thompson's guitar playing still is to the drama of his songs.

The record was cut live at Hobosound Studio in Weehawken, New Jersey, with longtime bandmates Taras Prodaniuk, Michael Jerome and David Mansfield, plus backing vocals from Zara Phillips. Sessions often came together in just two to four takes, but the material was shaped by more detailed home demos, giving the finished album what Thompson called a feel that was "less them and more me." The result is direct, lively and full of character rather than polish for its own sake.