Teddy's best so far
Possibly the best TT album so far, A Piece Of What You Need is typically Teddy but with new layers. It's dark, light, funny and melancholic all at the same time. Highlights for me are the opening two tracks, which are opposite sides of the same coin. 'The Things I Do' expresses self-loathing (a fairly constant theme throughout Teddy's work), while the wickedly funny 'What's This?!!' sees him being surprised and bemused at being happy. The words and the music fit perfectly together, and it's all quite poetic... "One night away from the therapist's couch - ouch!" There's a hint of country and western in some songs - notably "Can't Sing Straight", which you can almost hear Johnny Cash singing.
A Piece of What You Need is a good introduction to Teddy Thompson's music, but a little experience of his catalogue will give an extra dimension to your listening.

This dude continues to put out fantastic music!
I have all of his CDs. He continues to amaze me. Beautiful CD.

Best Teddy CD yet
TT's best release to-date. It has a more R&R vibe to it than the previous releases and definitely more uptempo and a brighter mood. If you like a happier Teddy, then you'll enjoy this collection. Stand-out tracks are Jonathan's Book (top form!), In My Arms (great hooks) and Slippery Slope. If you get the chance to see him perform live, GO! One of those rare performers who sound as good (if not better) live, than in the recordings.
Reminds me of discovering Rufus Wainwright years ago. Same feeling, different angle.

Improving with age ...
"A Piece Of What You Need" is TT's fourth long-player, and seems a natural progression - some of last year's extraordinary, country-tinged "Up Front And Down Low" has fused with the snappy, melodic songcraft of its predecessor, "Separate Ways". Add to this producer Marius deVries (Rufus Wainwright's "Want" albums) and the result is a heady mix of rich folk, tart rock and lush pop songcraft.

Teddy's always had a neat line in bitterness, but this time it's leavened with a realisation that perhaps the world is not such a bad place, and perhaps love is not such a meaningless game.

All in all, excellent, both as an introduction and as a follow-up to what have been an increasingly impressive bunch of albums.

And if you haven't seen him live, do it, because it's only then that you realise what a truly gifted singer he is.

I love Teddy Thompson, but....
who had the brilliant idea of not including any lyrics or credits with the CD (you can access them on individual pages on his website) and leaving a 5 minute break before you 'discover' the hidden track. Why do record companies do that ? Why not just put a track marker in and call it a bonus track, as it is a real pain. Is it any wonder the music business is in trouble ?

That said, it is always a joy to get another album by Teddy, despite my grumblings. I just like to know who did what to who and when. After repeated listenings I don't think it is as strong as his first two albums, but definitely better than his last, where I felt the best track was ironically the one he wrote.