Michael Weston King “Nothing Can Hurt Me Anymore”

Tragedy turned into thoughtful, considered, often uplifting songwriting.

At the end of 2024, Michael Weston King and Lou Dalgleish shared their first artistic reactions to the loss of their granddaughter Bebe King, at Southport with a select group of supporters in the media. A few of us at AUK were privileged to be on that list. The two songs, Sally Sparkles and The Empty Swing, hinted at a new direction for the duo who make up My Darling Clementine.

“The events of summer 2024 not only changed the music they were making and the songs they were writing, it also altered their outlook on life. Recognising that everyone’s grief is individual, even that of a husband and wife, Michael and Lou needed to channel their suffering via their own individual creativity and in their own way, rather than in collaboration as My Darling Clementine, so they worked on two solo albums.” The first to be released is Michael’s Nothing Can Hurt Me Anymore, with Lou’s album to follow later in the year.

As his press rightly identifies, The Golden Road has more than a hint of early Springsteen to it. An anthemic look at the events in Southport and how they were hijacked by the far-right. “We took our sorrow home; some took it to the street.” What’s astonishing about the song is that, though this is an examination of one of the key problems with our society, the chorus has a redemptive feel to it. “I’ll keep searching for the golden hour. I have no strength, and I have no power. I’ve stood sentry at the tower of strong for far too long. So let me in. Let the healing begin.” The album’s title song is an altogether darker piece in the Nick Cave mould and reflects on the media’s coverage of Southport. As does Die Of Shame, which ramps up the criticism of the appalling behaviour of much of the press in search of a story. Shez Sheridan’s abrasive guitar and Colin Elliott’s string arrangements build the sense of tension that those on the receiving end of the incessant questions, which are ruminated on in the lyrics, must feel.

Nothing Can Hurt Me Anymore is still an album which can be listened to just as a set of songs. A Field of Our Own is one of the sweetest ballads, musically, and looks at the redemptive power of nature. I wonder if the line “some fantastic place” references Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford’s song of that title, which is one of the best tribute songs to a departed friend that there is. The soulful Grow Old With Me, is just a simple love song, and an exhortation to make the most of our time here. Clovis Phillips tremolo guitar adds to the 60s feel, and the brass fanfare makes this the most joyous song featured here.

La Bamba In The Rain returns to Southport, looking again at the dangers of extremism and the hijacking of national symbols: “There’s no hope for us this time. When every little thing is treated as a sin or crime.” Another song where the guitar and organ produce a piece of almost-sing-along heartland rock, in much the same way that Springsteen hides his most profound messages in plain sight of his catchiest hits. When I Grow Old takes TS Eliot’s J. Alfred Prufrock and drops him into 21st-century England.

Every song here needs careful listening and examination, and many will bring all but the hardest hearts to tears and smiles almost simultaneously. The closing trio of A Mother’s Pride, Into The West, and last year’s Sally Sparkles are some of the most affecting for me.

Musically, this would be one of the albums of the year; Michael Weston King sings as well or better than at any time. Coupled with the thoughtfulness and clarity of the writing, there really is only one score appropriate for this record, although rating it almost feels churlish.

What makes this a 10 out of 10 album? Not just that Michael is a fine chap who has gone through something so awful as to be beyond comprehension for most of us, but that he has taken that event and created a piece of art that helps us identify with his loss, while, at the same time, celebrating life to its fullest extent. The courage that confronting the pain of losing Bebe in song has taken, and especially now, reliving it through every review and interview, is remarkable. That the end result is not a howl of rage, but rather a set of songs which are often as uplifting as they are sad, makes this one of the most emotive and introspective albums of recent years.