A reflective, soulful journey of homecoming and reckoning.

Recorded in his home studio in the remote village of Helmsdale in northern Scotland, The Bridge Hotel marks a deeply personal chapter in Edwyn Collins’s career. His 10th solo album, and his fifth since surviving two life-altering strokes in 2005, is a poignant exploration of return—both to the place he calls home and to his own creative roots. The album’s lyrics, which often reference his home village, reflect this sense of coming full circle, with Collins singing of “winding my way back home.” Yet the album is also a meditation on resilience and reflection. On the title track, Collins touches on the speech difficulties he faced after his strokes, singing, “Back when the words came easily/I had the answer to everything.” This theme of introspection runs throughout the album, with Collins’s lyrics consistently thoughtful and poignant. His distinctive baritone remains as compelling as ever, while the musicianship stays understated, allowing the emotional weight of the songs to shine through.

Tracks like Paper Planes and It Must Be Real are beautifully crafted, while The Heart Is a Foolish Little Thing strikes a delicate balance between rousing and bittersweet. As Collins prepares for a farewell tour this autumn, one can only hope that this deeply compassionate and introspective record is not his final chapter.