Album review: DAVID PALFREYMAN – Opening Time For The Battered

Bandcamp [Release date 26.09.25]

David Palfreyman has released music in various guises in the past, including 2017’s ‘Decades’, a concept album with Nicholas Pegg. ‘Opening Time for the Battered’ David refers to as his debut solo album, musically aided by bassist Ben Miles, lead guitarist Rodger Hanna, David Clayton on keyboards, drummers Martyn Barker & Chris Musto and Gary Barnacle on sax. Cats In Space’s Greg Hart guests on ‘Overtime Hours’.

With its warm production sound makes this an album a joy to listen to. Highlights include ‘Life Begins at 60’, a song with a retro lyric and lots of lush keyboards, or ‘Overtime Hours’, which also features plenty of keyboards, along with subtle guitar and a big chorus makes for a grandiose ending to the album.

Hints of prog pop on ‘Locked Door Key’, an extremely catchy tune and little wonder it was released as the album’s lead single. Next single could well be the 80’s pop vibe of ‘Your Days My Days’, or perhaps ‘Highway View’ – if Tom Petty came from Chesterfield it may sound like this! Loving the guitars and sax outro.

David Palfreyman has created a collection of songs that have plenty of melody and thoughtful lyrics. Worthy of a listen and an album that provides a musical balm in these troubled times. ***1/2

Review by Jason Ritchie

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