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On this weeks episode, we discuss an LP by John Wesley Harding (né Wesley Stace), 1996’s John Wesley Harding’s New Deal. 

After releasing two EPs and three full length albums with a full band for Sire Records, Harding decided to strip down his sound for his debut on his new label Forward Records (an imprint of Rhino Records). Harding much preferred the intimacy of  acoustic live performances and created an album that embraced that aesthetic whole heatedly.  Described by Harding as “gangsta folk,”  John Wesley Harding’s New Deal  is a beautiful record and a fan favorite. It was the first time Harding had the freedom to make the record he always wanted to make. The song arrangements are simple and direct, putting the focus of the lyrics., which are both sly and whimsical, and full of British charm. And as an added bonus, the album even includes a fantastic sequel of sorts to the Kink’s “Waterloo Sunset.”

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