Sunday, 29 April 2007
Britain's uncool equivalent of Frank Black makes an album that equals his best work?
It may seem a strange comparison to make, but Miles Hunt occupies a similar space in the UK to Frank Black : a prolific solo artist who is always undeservedly in the shadow of his parent band, performing admirably and creatively in a vaccum except to the devoted few.
"Not An Exit", his third album of the past twelve months, comes hot on the heels of The Wonder Stuff's "Suspended By Stars" and his own solo "Interloper" from a mere six months ago. Despite the fact that his solo band for this album are made solely of members of The Wonder Stuff "Not An Exit" is a determindedly solo album : made of a singular, individual vision and to the trained ear, made of the same ingredients as his better-known band - but arranged differently.
Fans of The Wonder Stuff will not be disappointed by this : the familiar cynicism and flippancy are on display, as are the dramatic strings and driving rhythms courtesy of his fellow Wonder Stuffers Erica Nockalls and Andres Karu - (only guitarist Malc Treece and bassist Mark McCarthy are absent) - show clearly the input the band dynamic have and how these songs would sound clearly different in the bands hands. Wonder Stuffisms, such as the familiar guitar bite, the fluctuating drum patterns and the locked in bass groove are absent, replaced with a more regimented backing that allows the vocals and fiddle to carry the songs. Some of these numbers could easily sit as the equal to any Wonder Stuff song, rubbing shoulders with classics such as "On The Ropes" and "Caught In My Shadow". Of particular note are "These Things Remembered (Not At All)" and "Back On The Charm Offensive" that wouldn't be out of place as superior tracks on a Wonder Stuff record. There's a lot of references to Miles' band here, but whilst you can take the man of the band, you can't take the band out of the man. It still sounds like The Wonder Stuff, because it is, after all, the lead singer from the band and his partners in musical crime.
It may surprise you to hear that this is Miles Hunt's 17th album, and he's been doing this for 21 years. There's no sign of complacency in this, no dimming of the flame. If you like The Wonder Stuff, you'll like this. Don't be fooled by conceptions of cool and nonsense like that. It's all in the grooves, and this music is the stuff that makes the difference. Only registered users can write comments.
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