The Hugh Dillon Redemption Choir — The High Co$t Of Low Living

The miasmic reputation of Hugh Dillon has always overshadowed the guy's ability to write a really strong, catchy piece. On this album, the smug thug veneer is gone — the ex-Headstone isn't so much doing a solo spin-off as he is a reinvention. Some are likely to dismiss it as same old pop rock — but these are the same types who refuse to admit Sting has done anything interesting since he left The Police.

Backed by a more-than-competent four-piece, Dillon's voice is still distinctive and his lyrics still sharp, but his outlook is a lot less menacing — and it works. When he sings a potentially maudlin line like "You're the missing piece/to the puzzle I am," it's not candied cloying but sincerely touching.