John Cunningham

Pop music has rarely given true craftspeople their due, so it's hardly a surprise that John Cunningham isn't widely known, even within his native England. Yet, his work embodies everything that has made Britpop unique: bittersweet odes to loss and longing wrapped up in heart-swelling melodies accentuated by just the right dashes of orchestration. This release, comprised of Cunningham's two brilliant, but rare, albums ― Homeless House and Happy-go-unlucky ― stands to be his long-overdue introduction to the wider listening public, and is sure to be lauded as an instant folk pop classic. As with Elliott Smith, an obsession with the Beatles is the obvious foundation of Cunningham's approach, but what he builds from there is a glorious monument to pure pop bliss. It seems every generation since the Fab Four disbanded has spawned its own torchbearers, and Cunningham's obscurity adds a lot of mystique to his work. Still, listening to both of these albums together on 1998-2002 will surely result in a magical sense of discovery for anyone with any interest in the British songwriting tradition.