One of the most prolific artists of his generation, Baxter Dury has returned guns blazing with his 8th studio album Allbarone in hand.
While the songwriter may have been previously known for his brooding vocals and distinctive indie style, Allbarone brings an intriguing switch-up to his discography – a pop-disco album packed with intense dance hits, produced by none other than the famed Paul Epworth.
Having worked with an incredible range of artists from Adele to U2, the much-lauded producer approached Dury fresh off his immensely successful Glastonbury appearance in 2024. Having finished touring his last album I Thought I was Better Than You, the two sat down to record this new record in Epworth’s Church Studios in North London – but the experience wasn’t what Baxter initially anticipated. Eager to avoid what Dury terms “Harrod’s hamper music”, the two stripped it back to bare boards and set to work on crafting the nine track tour de force that became Allbarone [named after the chain of high street cocktail bars], as the fast-paced nature of Epworth’s creative style pushed Dury to his limits with stunning results.
As with all Dury’s work, the lyrics are intense – but, when paired with energetic dance beats and pounding riffs, a new level of his art is offered to the listener. We journey through Dury’s experiences of a modern world as he positions himself in relation to a wider society, represented through an ever-revolving revolving cast of characters that appear and vanish throughout the album like strangers on a night out. From “nylon gods” to “soul fuckers”, listeners are dragged by the hand through a characteristic sharp social commentary and the occasional plunge into the depths of his own perceptions.
No one escapes Dury’s piercing observations, not even himself. He sings of “low information lovers” and “fat duck fuckers” who breakfast at the Berghain in the track ‘Hapsburg’, while Allbarone’s title track sees lovers leave him in a state of desperation. Social media’s performative activists are picked apart in ‘Mockingjay’, christened as the “lightweight preacher of nothing of significance” as Dury inserts himself in the shoes of characters that he usually observes from afar. Herein lies the genius of the album: the never-ending rotation between character’s viewpoints creates a dizzying yet intoxicating effect that is only exacerbated by Epworth’s alluring electro-pop dance tracks.
The crowning jewel of the record, however, comes in the form of second track ‘Schadenfreude’. A reflection on life’s disappointments and the savage pleasure that comes from others misfortune. The female vocal foil adds an eerie edge to the track that ebbs and flows as Dury repeatedly admits to his guilt. Schadenfreude in itself is a guilty feeling, pleasure taken in someone else’s pain is a feeling that many experience in spite of themselves, and Dury perfectly captures the intensely human battle between excessive cruelty and better judgement.
Allbarone has undoubtedly cemented its place as Baxter Dury’s magnum opus. A cutting-edge record which combines his razor-sharp social critique and a modern dance sound that redefines his identity as an artist and his position in the music industry.
featured image: Tom Beard
