Released in October 2017, 'Prince of tears' was Baxter Dury's fifth solo album and - by most accounts - the one that finally got a wider audience to sit up and take notice. He'd been quietly putting out records for well over a decade by this point, each one a little cult favourite, but this felt like a real step forward - sharper, more focused, and with a sound that finally matched the singular character he'd always had.

The album has a wonderfully louche, late-night feel to it - sleazy synths, funky bass grooves, lush strings, and Dury's signature deadpan spoken-word delivery weaving in and out of the music like he's telling you something important from the other end of a dimly lit bar. There are echoes of Serge Gainsbourg throughout, and a fair bit of Metronomy-esque groove, but it's unmistakably its own thing. Madelaine Hart's coolly understated backing vocals are all over the record and add a brilliant counterpoint to Dury's world-weary monologuing.

Opener 'Miami' sets the tone perfectly - all pulsing bass and retro synths, with Dury casting himself as some deluded braggart shuffling through a terrible nightclub. 'Porcelain', with Rose Elinor Dougall on lead vocals, is genuinely gorgeous, and the gnarly, chippy 'Almond milk' featuring Sleaford Mods' Jason Williamson is a real highlight too. The title track closes things out beautifully - cinematic, a little heartbroken, and unexpectedly moving. At just under 30 minutes the whole thing is lean and perfectly paced, and it rewards repeat listening in a way that a lot of records don't. If you've never given Baxter Dury a proper chance, this is absolutely the place to start.