Yusuf / Cat Stevens – King of a Land (2023) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Yusuf / Cat Stevens – King of a Land (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 43:21 minutes | 482 MB | Genre: Pop
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd

King of a Land is an epic body of work. More than a decade in the making, its 12 new songs are full of extraordinary surprises. Unique and transportive, Yusuf’s music, words and melodies paint a vivid picture of a world which embraces the lost lands of truisms and stainless youth, and brings it into touching distance. His poetical storytelling invites the listener on a journey towards the gates of an alternative universe to that which we presently inhabit – where happy endings can possibly happen. From the gloriously unexpected hard-rock intensity of ‘Pagan Run’ to the Tchaikovsky-inspired orchestration on ‘How Good It Feels’, the delicate acoustic balladry of ‘He Is True’ through to the driving Phil Spector-goes-gospel vibe of ‘Highness’, the Travelling Wilburys-styled rolling Americana groove of ‘All Nights, All Days’, and the ornate, atmospheric ‘Son Of Mary’, ‘King of a Land’ is an epic body of work. The album’s artwork was created by Peter H Reynolds, the award-winning children’s illustrator.

Yusuf is a talented singer and songwriter with an interesting past – in the 1960s and ’70s he was the internationally famous pop singer Cat Stevens, whose thoughtful, soulful songs often had a spiritual bent. After the release of his 1978 album Back to Earth, Cat Stevens walked away from his career in music, embracing the Muslim faith and taking the name Yusuf Islam. In 2006, he released the album An Other Cup, credited to Yusuf, that found him gingerly easing back into the folk-influenced pop that made him famous, and since then, Yusuf has been making music that aims to strike a balance between the musical personality of his most famous work and his present-day spiritual focus and his dreams of a more just, peaceful, and generous world. In terms of this match of form and content, 2023’s King of a Land may be the best album Yusuf has delivered since returning to popular music (and like his last several releases, it’s credited to Yusuf/Cat Stevens, suggesting he’s at peace with his musical past while wanting to remind us he’s not exactly the man he used to be). Working with Paul Samwell-Smith, who produced the bulk of his 1970s work, on King of a Land Yusuf writes melodies that are more artful than his best-known hits but have a very recognizable warmth, and a mood that finds room for both joy and gravity. The lyrics are open in his devotion to God and our shared need for a more merciful world. The album’s artwork features illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds, portraying a young boy in situations that match the stories and themes of the songs, and many of the tunes feel like fables for young and old, songs whose messages are clear but express their lessons with a gentle touch that doesn’t feel doctrinaire or judgemental. (Significantly, “Son of Mary” is a compact retelling of the life of Jesus, subtly but firmly affirming that we all worship the same God). King of a Land is not quite pop-folk in the way “Peace Train” or “Moonshadow” were, yet the music is engaging and seems intended to soothe a troubled spirit, and though Yusuf’s voice is just a bit sandy around the edges compared to his salad days, his performances are passionate without histrionics and speak of a wisdom he wants to share with all willing to listen. It’s a well crafted and often moving album that mixes a bit of Cat Stevens’ sound with Yusuf’s heart and soul, and it honors both with skill and sincerity. – Mark Deming

Tracklist:
1-1. Cat Stevens – Train on a Hill (03:09)
1-2. Cat Stevens – King of a Land (04:14)
1-3. Cat Stevens – Pagan Run (04:33)
1-4. Cat Stevens – He is True (01:40)
1-5. Cat Stevens – All Nights, All Days (02:22)
1-6. Cat Stevens – Another Night in the Rain (03:53)
1-7. Cat Stevens – Things (03:05)
1-8. Cat Stevens – Son of Mary (04:39)
1-9. Cat Stevens – Highness (03:56)
1-10. Cat Stevens – The Boy Who Knew How to Climb Walls (04:26)
1-11. Cat Stevens – How Good It Feels (04:35)
1-12. Cat Stevens – Take the World Apart (02:44)

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