Al Stewart-24 Carrots (1980)

"24 Carrots", the ninth album by Scottish musician Al Stewart, marks the culmination of his most creative period, coinciding with his greatest successes thanks to monumental albums like "Love Chronicles", "Past, Present and Future", "Year of the Cat", and "Time Passages". On this latest recording, guitarist Peter White remains a key contributor to the compositions co-written with Stewart, who also leads his new backing band, Shot in the Dark. The album comprises a series of elegant, accessible, and catchy soft rock songs. Tracks such as the engaging "Merlin's Time", the energetic "Mondo Sinistro", the semi-progressive "Running Mari", the infectious "Paint by Number", and the harmonious "Midnight Rocks" are part of an inspiring and sophisticated album, very much in keeping with the stylistic vein of his previous work.