A Piece of What You Need
As the son of Richard and Linda Thompson, Teddy has quite a legacy to maintain, and over four albums thus far Thompson has proven up to the task. His voice is more naturally musical than his dad\'s — and every bit as mournful as them both — and his musical decisions are rooted in his family’s folk history but not indebted to it. He’s now learning to smile as he delivers the bad news. *A Piece of What You Need* sounds like an optimist’s album. It’s filled with powerful, upbeat rhythms and melodies ready to take on the world with open arms (“In My Arms,” “The Things I Do”), but listen closer and the tales take a downward turn. That’s existential angst pinned under the cruising beat of “The Things I Do” and any tune with a title such as “Turning the Gun On Myself” comes with its own self-apparent warning. “Slippery Slope (Easier)” slowly marches with an inevitable weight and “Don’t Know What I Was Thinking” and “What’s This?!!” are well finished compositions worthy of any modern songwriter, with or without an esteemed family pedigree.
Discover A Piece of What You Need by Teddy Thompson released in 2008. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.