Happy, cozy, friendly, gorgeous album
Teddy (and his management) are smart/brave enough to allow you to stream his ENTIRE album from his website. After two listens, I am now buying the CD here on Amazon. I love to reward an artist as willing to let people hear before they buy. Teddy is a great singer, songwriter and player. His music is more uplifting than any drug (although it sounds EVEN BETTER after a few beers). GOOD JOB TEDDY! SEE YOU IN SEATTLE!

Just in case you're wondering why I don't give FIVE stars, there are probably on about a dozen 5-star albums in my book. FOUR stars is still awesome.

Tour de force
I've liked Teddy Thompson's music in a small way for a while now, just picking up the occasional track online. This new release seemed to be creating a bit of a stir though, so I bought the whole CD to see if it was as good as everyone says.
You know what? It is.
It's like he's shifted into a higher gear and really got going. It needs a few spins to get into it, but this album has everything: the voice, the melodies, the catchy lyrics, the complexity... the X-Factor...
TT's always had a great voice, but it seems even better in this setting. He's really distinctive, but at a basic level, just a great singer. And he has an interesting and unexpected turn of phrase that keeps things interesting all the way through. Both lyrically and melodically, this is a really catchy bunch of songs. I can't get them out of my head. Despite the up-tempo nature of much (though far from all) of `A Piece of What You Need', the subject matter of the songs is quite self-critical and downbeat, written, you might think, at that low moment when you're hitting the bottle after another break up and feel particularly sorry for yourself. Luckily it doesn't come across as whiny.
There's quite a variety too, from the simple but perfect `In My Arms', through introspective ballads like `Where to Go From Here' to the melodramatic `Jonathan's Book' with its almost cinematic opening and some rather Abba-esque piano flourishes. He knows how to go over the top, but can be as subtle as anything. Oh, and then you get something like `Can't Sing Straight', which inevitably makes you think of Johnny Cash, since he's singing deep and low and talking about `walking the line'. That's a great song.
So Teddy takes us on quite a musical journey through this album. It's full of surprise and delight. One of the best new records I've heard in ages.

Apparently, this is what I needed
I buy a lot of music every year, and I'm always looking for something new. I had been fairly underwhelmed by most music that people had been recommending to me, so I decided to browse through the new releases and take a chance on something I hadn't heard before.

This album was one of those chances, and I'm glad I took the leap.

I actually hadn't ever purchased any of Teddy Thompson's music before. I caught a few songs at a showcase at SXSW a few years back, but never followed up by buying anything.

This album is fun, catchy (In My Arms, What's This!!!, Jonathan's Book), and a little heartbreaking at times (Slippery Slope). There's even a little growl and swagger thrown in for good measure (Can't Sing Straight).

I got past the whole 5 minutes or so of silence between the last track and the bonus track by just splitting them into two tracks before putting them on my ipod, but I agree that it's annoying as all heck when albums have that.

Now I just need to figure out what Teddy Thompson cd to buy next...

Teddy's best so far
Possibly the best TT album so far, A Piece Of What You Need is typically Teddy but with new layers. It's dark, light, funny and melancholic all at the same time. Highlights for me are the opening two tracks, which are opposite sides of the same coin. 'The Things I Do' expresses self-loathing (a fairly constant theme throughout Teddy's work), while the wickedly funny 'What's This?!!' sees him being surprised and bemused at being happy. The words and the music fit perfectly together, and it's all quite poetic... "One night away from the therapist's couch - ouch!" There's a hint of country and western in some songs - notably "Can't Sing Straight", which you can almost hear Johnny Cash singing.
A Piece of What You Need is a good introduction to Teddy Thompson's music, but a little experience of his catalogue will give an extra dimension to your listening.

This dude continues to put out fantastic music!
I have all of his CDs. He continues to amaze me. Beautiful CD.