Brett Anderson - Brett Anderson

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 25 / 3 / 2007

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Brett Anderson is not a new solo artist, but is new to being solo. This sounds, thank God, mostly unlike the most famous of his previous bands, Suede, of whom. I was never a fan. I saw Suede, only once at the Camden Falcon, the night they signed to Nude, and I only stayed because Morrissey was also there, whom I chatted to. I next saw Brett with his next band the Tears when they launched themselves three years ago at a gig at Virgin Megastores. Both had great songs, but both bands were always a little too full of themselves. On this debut solo release from Brett, he has grown up a lot, but there are still a lot of drug references. Brett was always out of it, high on something or other. In recent times, he has lost his father, and this casts a decent shadow over the whole work. ‘Love is Dead,’ the first track to be released as a single, opens it. It owes far more to Scott Walker then Suede, is string heavy, and, full of beauty, a tale of loneliness, empty beds and plastic people, which is often the case, when you get involved with a scene that is drug fuelled. The title of ‘One Lazy Morning’ recalls Suede, but in fact it is a classic 70’s style piece of song writing, full of strings and reflections about God or possibly his father. ‘Dust and Rain’ is a stand out track, with drums that are reminiscent of those in the Smiths’ ‘Reel around the Fountain’, and gritty guitars that ironically recall Suede at their very best. It lyrics are very drug infested, so it is full of old demons. It also has an element of the early David Bowie, which is no bad thing. ‘Intimacy’ sounds like a Suede demo, while the stunning ‘To the Winter’ again sounds very 1970's with its lovely lyrics. A song about love and communication, it is definitely one of the best songs he has ever written. ‘Scorpio Rising’ is another Suede-type title, but it is jangly in tone and sounds more like the early 90’s Cure with its lush acoustic guitar and easy-on-the-ear backing harmonies. ‘The Infinite Kiss’ has grown up melodies, and, another classic, is very couples friendly. ‘Colour of the Night’ is piano based, reflective with plucked guitar and sad cello. ‘The More We Possess, the Less We Own of Ourselves’ is a clever title and a clever song. It is very much like the Tindersticks, and, a song about wanting everything, is another album highlight and a perfect song for any age. ‘Ebony’ is easy on the ears, while ‘Song for My Father’, which ends the album, is reflective as it should be, admiring life and all it has to offer, and features a strong reprise that works especially well.

Track Listing:-

1 Love Is Dead
2 One Lazy Morning
3 Dust & Rain
4 Intimacy
5 To the Winter
6 Scorpio Rising
7 The Infinite Kiss
8 Colour of the Night
9 The More We Possess the Less We Own Ourselves
10 Ebony
11 Song for My Father

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