Artist: Ginger 
   Title: Valor Del Corazon
   Label: C+P Round Records

I like to take this time of year to reflect on the year and to review a couple of albums that we may have missed over the year.  The ones that definitely need a mention of some sort, so here it goes with the first of them, 'Valor Del Corazon' from Wildhearts frontman Ginger.

To say that Gingers career has been a turbulent one would be the understatement of the year, but with this new album we see him returning to the form that made him a household name in rock music circles.

The album is a two-disc set that finds Ginger delving into a lot of different genres and sounds to create what is a very outstanding release.

The album opens up with ‘Ugly’, a track that is very much in the same vein as the Wildhearts early stuff with vibrant guitars and a punchy chorus, and it just rocks pure and simple.

Next up is the excellent ‘Mother City’, a subtler rocker than the opening track that is perhaps more akin to the songs from his Silver Ginger 5 project.

The next track takes a completely different path, ‘G.T.T’ is a monster of an instrumental that reminds me very much of Rob Zombie’s solo stuff with the added narrative sound bites.  However, it's not long before things get rocking again as ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah’ bursts from the speakers.  This up-tempo rocker is all Ginger and is among my favourite tracks off the album.

‘This Is Only A Problem’, ‘Ten Flaws Down’ and ‘Paramour' are three more tracks that have that trademark Ginger song writing style stamped all over them.  Both melodic and sarcastic elegance in one complete package.

The first disc is brought to an end with the more down tempo number ‘The Man Who Cheated Death’.  This is the closest Ginger comes to a ballad on this album and shows a more gentler meaningful side of his song writing. 

The second disc opens up with the anthemic ‘The Drunken Lord Of Everything’, a track that is very reminiscent of ‘A Geordie In Wonderland’, with its almost narrative vocals.

The next track ‘L.O.V.E.' which stands for "Loneliness Orchestrated Vaginal Empowerment"(!) finds Ginger giving this album the female touch by bringing in Cathy Craham for the vocals, on this very melancholy view of love and one that is a very different track from the others.

The album returns to the more familiar Ginger style with ‘The Way’ and the almost country vibe of ‘Drinking In The Daytime’.

Things start to rock a bit more with a couple of my favourite tracks off disc two, firstly ‘Keep It Cool’, and secondly the excellent ‘Only Lonely’.

The album takes a completely different path with ‘Your Mouth’ as Ginger is accompanied by just piano and violin on this gentle ballad.

Just as you think the album is getting a bit too gentile for the average Ginger fan things pick up again with ‘Change’ and ‘My Friend The Enemy’.  Two more very Wildheart fan friendly tracks.

The album closes with two massive tracks firstly ‘Bulb’, a real rocker of a track and then the album closer, with the majestic harmonies of ‘Something To Believe In’, a song worthy of any Wildheart, Silver Ginger 5 or Clam Abuse album, which closes the most eclectic mix of vibes and styles from one of the most underrated song writers of our time. 

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