Oh, Manchester, So Much To Answer For

This is an alternate-universe version of Richard Thompson (who Orral most resembles vocally) by way of Nick Lowe, which makes perfect sense - it was produced by Roger Bechirian, who (according to the indispensible Allmusic) worked behind the boards for the likes of Costello, Graham Parker, Dave Edmunds, Squeeze... the whole Brit new wave/power-pop mafia, basically. Oh, and he produced Lowe's Abominable Showman as well. Lowe's wife in 1983? Carlene daughter-of-June Carter. Completely forgotten now (it only peaked at #32 US, and was from a friggin' EP, for pete's sake), "I Couldn't Say No" is a tough little piano-driven power-pop nugget worth tracking down. (It's also notable as most folks' intro to Carter, who'd go on to bigger things as a more straightforward country artist in the early '90s.) There are no listings at all for Orral on eBay; maybe you can find him at iTunes? Somehow, I doubt it, and that's sad.