Paul Dougherty: "Zoe"

Father/daughter songs: some good, some boot-through-the-telly abominable. Paul Dougherty’s attempt lands gently left of centre, touching down smoothly thanks thanks to the correct paternal instructions (his old man’s Tommy Dougherty, Nashville’s most advance-booked country session singer). With young Paul having pulled off a kind of reverse Knopfler—born in Houston, now in Munich—the new German crooner switches hands with the torch, adding backing and electrics to his Americana-lite to help keep the Stetson crowd at bay. So far only one’s encroached—the hilarious redubs of Walker, Texas Ranger that Germany’s Tele 5 love to propagate—but otherwise Dougherty’s shtick is comfortably his own: road movie muzak, and I’m not talking Cormac McCarthy. “Zoe” is the kind of track you settle on during a memorable weekend access visit, when the ex has fucked off to her boss’ new farmhouse while you get the daughter, the car and the sunshine. Thus you win.

Essentially James Taylor with the roof down, it’s as warm as everything currently isn’t and shows a father having a man-to-man with his little girl, trying to broach the tough one of bereavement. “It’s such a vast road / And so much to hold on to / Everything comes and goes / Time flies / But not yet in your eyes,” sighs Dad, the sea air clearing the working week cobwebs that build when he’s working two jobs. That’ll be why he sounds snappy when you call! After staring at a lathe and then cleaning drug stores he’s bound to have his more snarly head on. He’s building bridges now, though, fine-tuning backing singers with xylophone pedals before signing off “Zoe my little girl / It’s a beautiful desperate world” with the most delicate of heavy metal kisses. You see, Ozzy and Sharon: that’s what they need. Not camera crews, pooch shit, and credit lines.

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