I’ve always looked fondly upon Richard Ashcroft. After shooting to fame as the singer in the Verve, I’ve always associated his work with perfectly produced songs that prove not only catchy but enduring. Go and have a listen to your old copy of The Verve’s
Urban Hymns and it still sounds fresh as a daisy, enough to give any modern day indie-pop whingers a bloody nose.
Why Not Nothing/
Sweet Brother Malcolm is a double-A side taken from his
Keys to the World album which has been doing the rounds since January of this year and has already seen good solid single releases in
Break the Night with Colour and
Music is Power.
Why Not Nothing kicks off proceedings with an upbeat groove that instantly transports the listener back to 1996 and fools the ear into thinking they’re at an Ocean Colour Scene soundcheck. Ashcroft’s trademark drawl reminds us where we are thankfully as he waxes over the top of what is essentially a simple chord loop with the odd blast of brass to make it interesting. Well, I use ‘interesting’ as a very loose term in this instance. This is not a bad song, it’s just one that should appear third from the end of an album to indicate that the middle is past and the good stuff at the end awaits. Nicely crafted it may be, but it’s just not strong enough to warrant a single release.
Sweet Brother Malcolm suffers a similar fate I’m sad to say, although it’s a much nicer song in its construction. A gentle acoustic ballad with some lovely subtle string breaks and guitar harmonics is classic Ashcroft territory and is a pleasure to listen to even if it’s not going to set the charts alight anytime soon.
It’s good to see Richard Ashcroft forging a solo career, but those who remember his Verve glory days will find this release a little diluted and weak.
Why Not Nothing/
Sweet Brother Malcolm is released on Dec 4th on Parlophone
www.richardashcroft.com
