On take No. 5, Gough finally nails it, and it’s worth the wait. “You Were Right,” a galloping, bittersweet confessional, really is one of the top five songs ever written by Badly Drawn Boy. And that’s saying something. Ever since the Manchester, England, native won Britain’s Mercury Prize for his 2000 debut, “The Hour of Bewilderbeast,” his refreshingly unironic sound has beguiled critics on both sides of the Atlantic. On “You Were Right,” Gough wonders aloud just how much it’s fair to expect from music–a fraught subject for any singer–and how fatherhood changed him more than any song ever did. (His girl, Edie, is 2; Oscar Bruce–as in Springsteen, Gough’s idol–is 8 months old.) “Songs,” he half-whispers, “are never quite the answer/ Just a soundtrack to a life.”
“Have You Fed the Fish?”–the title refers to a phrase uttered daily in the Gough household–is a splendid mess of an album, like a packed subway car where everyone fits but a bit more room would help. Which is why it’s only the second best Badly Drawn Boy CD of the year. Gough’s soundtrack for the Hugh Grant film “About a Boy,” released in the spring, is just about perfect: simple, sincere, all heart. They give out Oscars for those, don’t they?
This double dose of Badly Drawn Boy has propelled Gough to monster stardom in Britain, where his furry face graces the cover of just about every music magazine. (Over here, “Fish” sold 10,000 copies in its first week.) Gough’s wool knit cap has already achieved mythic status in England, having been stolen right off his head three times. “The last time it was never returned,” he says. “The next day the Sun called and said, ‘We’ve been sent a photograph of somebody wearing a black mask and your hat.’ The way I look at it, if I never write another song, at least I made an article of clothing famous.” Look at it however you want, Damon. Just keep writing songs.
