Richard Ashcroft, ‘Keys to the World’
By user • Mar 3rd, 2006 • Category: Album Reviews
During the late ’90s fallout from the last great Brit-pop era, Richard Ashcroft surfaced as the leader of the oft-mediocre quintet, The Verve.
Yet despite the group’s affinity for boring, uninspired melodrama, Ashcroft always managed to be passionate. Or at least he appeared to be passionate. Which, to his credit, must have been difficult given the predictability of his music.
But since the band fizzled into memory and became a footnote to the decade’s most dynamic genre, the Englishman’s solo career has grown increasingly mundane.
Somewhere after his Rolling Stones’-adapted “Bittersweet Symphony” in 1997, his solo ventures lost the bellowing notes and thunderous vocal inflections he held throughout his heyday – the only thing worth noting about the 35-year-old.
Now, at best, he seems tired. And his lethargy translates into lazy songs with no hope of inspiring or sparking interest. He’s lost the one thing he did well – sound like he trusted work.
Even at The Verve’s most average moments, Ashcroft seemed to believe truly in what his band did.
But now, that front is gone and it’s unclear who’s more bored with “Keys to the World” – Ashcroft or everyone listening. The melodies sound forced, the musicianship is simple and the vocals are trite and cliche.
The 10 tracks would be a nice first-effort by a young lad who grew up listening to shoegazer pap and was unsure of himself. But that’s not what this record is. It’s the sixth album by a middle-aged man with more than 17 years in the business.
He should know better. Or maybe he does, but is too tired to fake caring anymore. And in this case, it’s better to be lied to – it sounded better.
Northern Star, March 3, 2006
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