Big Love
(East West)
Two stars
Simply Red will be back on the road this autumn, marking 30 years since the release of their debut album Picture Book, which featured such notable highs as Holding Back the Years and Money's Too Tight (to Mention). The band's 11th album of blue-eyed soul arrives a few months ahead of that tour.
Listening to Big Love, it's hard to escape the feeling that Mick Hucknall has had a tough time holding back those years. Where once he was writing about the party circuit, this is the sound of someone reconciling himself with fame, family and domesticity. Where his voice was once flawless, now it's gravelly.
If the vocals are no longer perfect, the arrangements are almost too pristine, leaving a sickly feeling of overproduction. Nevertheless, the title track will capture a few hearts for its Burt Bacharach-esque arrangement and Shine On is a standout. Dad delivers the album's most touching moment. It's an affectionate note to Hucknall's late father Reg, who was a single parent for most of the singer's childhood. When he sings: "She left, she's gone – you stuck it out on your own," the sincerity is there for all to hear.
nmarch@thenational.ae
