TV Smith – (2024) Handwriting

As a bored teenager growing up in the grim northern fishing town of Hull in East Yorkshire, I struggled to find music that interpolated to me. Luckily there was BBC2’s The Old Grey Whistle Test which in some small way connected me to new music and bands. Unfortunately for American jazz fusion group Blood Sweat and Tears they had to cancel their appearance on 7^th February 1978 due to the drug overdose death of their sax player in Amsterdam. Fortunately for me their slot was filled, at haste, by London based band The Adverts, a then up and coming punk band who played three songs including the zeitgeist capturing Bored Teenagers. Bored Teenagers is the second track on The Adverts’ 1978 debut album, Crossing the Red Sea with The Adverts. Coming at the height of the punk movement, this album captured the raw energy and rebellious spirit of the era. As a 15-year-old I found their shamanic vocalist and songwriter, TV Smith, mesmerizing and still do.  

Fast forward to 12^th April 2024 and the release of punk rock troubadour TV Smith’s 11th solo album Handwriting; this week’s #TFI_Friday album. Our now 68-year-old, 24 carat hero takes a well-deserved swipe at modern life, with a variety of songs ranging from catchy to apocalyptical. The 12 tracks are delivered via a folk-punk vernacular with the use of incisive and thought-provoking lyrics rather than shock tactics, proving his pen is mightier than the swear word. The production and arrangements, by Gerry Diver, deserve special mention, with superb dynamic range and sonic quality. Smith’s poetic, literary vocals are kept in the foreground, dead center, with sparkling clarity so you can follow every word. TV Smith is perhaps the greatest British songwriter you may never have heard of but it’s time to remedy this for your sake and not his.

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