It’s been a while... 2005 in fact was the last time the world heard from Kevin Tihista with 'Home Demons Vol 1' (a collection of bedroom recordings and studio out-takes) that was almost as well received as the previous year’s 'Wake Up Captain'. Through those years Kevin never stopped writing and recording, endlessly adding to his epic song pile that he only began at the age of 30 but for a variety of reasons including financial hardship, parting with his US label Parasol, personal ups and downs, aborted studio recordings as well as a hefty dose of indecision - an album was not forthcoming.

This all changed in the summer of 2011 when Kevin sent his UK label Broken Horse a new song, 'In Dreams', and a plan was hatched to reunite him with his producer Ellis Clark who had produced his first three albums. With an embarrassment of riches of songs to record but only a finite and limited budget to play with, a plan was hatched to concentrate on the more sombre songs that he had written over the last few years. The pop songs he had up his other sleeve would largely have to wait their turn.

Recorded quicky, over a 5-6 week period, in intense 2-3 day sessions in the studio, 'On This Dark Street' may prove to be Kevin’s finest work to date. Gloriously bleak, deliciously dark and with his trademark gallows humour firmly in place, it’s hard to imagine a more affecting album will be released in 2012. Kevin Tihista has probably heard of the likes of Bill Callahan and Mark Eitzel but I very much doubt he’s heard their music. 'On This Dark Street' finds him camping on their lawn.

Kicking off with ‘Taking It To The Streets (Again)’, Tihista references heartbreak, murder, manslaughter, Bob Dylan, Jack Kerouac, The Beatles, drinking, drugging and falling off too many tables and more heartbreak, to devastating effect. Not until the closing 'Country Road' does he finally turn on the lights with a pop standard you would swear you’ve known all your life. The closing line of the album “Everything will be OK”, shining a light at the end of this particularly dark tunnel.

A follow up to 'On This Dark Street' is already mostly written and partially recorded, according to the man himself, “The plan is to make it sound like a greatest hits, each song better than the last. I think I’ve got the songs and I’m writing like crazy, so let’s see.”