For those of you who are only familiar with the Tony Christie song ‘Is This The Way To Amarillo’, you’re missing out on a phenomenal back catalogue of music. If you’re expecting his latest album to be full of jaunty, Amarillo-esque numbers to really get the party started – think again. The one thing that you can rest assured on, however, is that he had an absolute blast making this record – a fact that resonates through every track on the album.

Essentially, Tony Christie’s latest album, ‘Made In Sheffield’ is a concept album. Everything about the album is, in fact, made in Sheffield. It was recorded in Sheffield, produced in Sheffield, written by artists from Sheffield – including Alex Turner, Jarvis Cocker and The Human League – and performed by Tony Christie, who hails from… Conisbrough. Oh well, close enough.

The opening track, a cover of Arctic Monkey’s ‘The Only Ones Who Know’, is quite an odd choice of opener. It’s very difficult to get into, and in all honesty is rather depressing. I would, however, urge you to stick with it as the album does improve considerably. A personal favourite is the trad-jazz number ‘All I Ever Care About Is You’, which will have you humming the tune and attempting a bit of soft-shoe-shuffling to yourself for hours after you’ve heard it.

The highlight of the album, ‘Louise’ is an epic tear-jerker set at that most romantic of places – a bus stop. This is where Tony Christie’s vocal talents really shine. He paints a beautiful word picture, emotion dripping from every lyric, to the extent you almost feel as though you’re an extra in the scene, the only eyewitness of the unexpected reunion of two ex-lovers. Unfortunately the album doesn’t really pick up to give the listener much relief after the emotional rollercoaster of ‘Louise’ until the penultimate track, ‘Paradise Square’.

It’s a strange thing, that although you can’t really have imagined Tony Christie recording an album in today’s climate that didn’t sound like ‘Made In Sheffield’ – this album is so far removed from what the public knows of his work that it cannot possibly be compared with his earlier material. It’s edgier, it’s more mature and world-weary – but it’s an absolute belter, just the same.

This album isn’t just a piece of music to listen to casually – it’s a real experience that both demands and deserves to have time devoted to savouring every note. Proof, as if we ever needed it, that after all these years, Tony Christie has still got it in spades – and not a “sha-la-la” in sight.