Black
– Blind Faith (Nero Schwarz)
CD
/ DL
1
June 2015
Liverpool
born Colin Vearncombe returns with a new Black album.
Whilst
it may have its doubters, there can be little criticism about the success of
crowdfunding websites. The new Black
album via Pledge Music saw Colin Vearncombe raise 240% of the original target, testament
also to the army that still follows him nearly thirty years after his
commercially popular heyday.
At
the time, 1987s Wonderful Life album was one of the finest collections
around. It displayed a male voice that
was soft, sweet and often beautiful and with hits like the classic title track
and the sumptuous Sweetest Smile showed that Vearncombe was able to write a
tune or two.
By
his own admittance, Wonderful Life will keep him in M&S suits for the rest
of his life, such is the power and reward for writing such a tune. His following album, the brilliantly titled
Comedy (Black Comedy, geddit?) also spawned superb singles with the likes of
The Big One and You’re A Big Girl Now, but unfortunately the fickle record
buying public decided otherwise.
Many
will see Blind Faith as the return of Black, but if truth be told the act had
never really been away. In 2009 two
albums were released, one under the non de plume and one under his real name.
So what of the new album? Much will be
made of it, and to be honest quite rightly so.
Thirteen new tracks (the first new material in six years) confirm that
Colin is still well capable of writing stunning music – many in partnership
with Calum MacColl (brother of Kirsty) – and his voice is competent enough to continue
to melt those pats in the butter dish.
Lead
single Ashes Of Angels is maybe more upbeat than the class of 87 will remember,
but the construction of the track is typically Vearncombe. Simple but effective with a rousing chorus it
epitomises his style and can become yet another milestone in his colourful
(sic) career.
Album
opener The Love Show will be cited as classic Black, sweeping strings, stirring
chorus and ‘that’ voice combining to remind the class of 87 what they’ve
missed. Second track, Don’t Call My
Honey sees Vearncombe move upbeat with a strain of Country and Skiffle that he
makes his own and as with much of the album the lyrics contain more than a sense
of irony and part hidden wit.
With
the longest track on the album, Womanly Panther coming in at less than three
and a half minutes the style is moved to a rhumba beat with incredible strings
recorded at Edinburgh Napier University.
The exquisite Stone Soup is stunning.
Closing
with the atmospheric and haunting Parade, Blind Faith is a fine collection from
one of Britain’s best but most undervalued singer songwriters. It would be nice to say that it is a return
to form, but Vearncombe never really lost it.
If there’s any justice in this World, Blind Faith will enable him to
purchase a pair of shoes every time he buys a new M&S ensemble.
8.5/10
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