Originally published in The
Aquarian Weekly
Justin
Currie/What Is Love For/
Rykodisc
The Scottish band
Del Amitri
were one of the most
underrated
groups in the last 20
years. Their
former lead singer has
released
his first solo album
with his
melodic gifts and warm
vocal
style fully intact.
The surprise here is
that
Currie, eschewing
the usual
rock trappings, has set
his songs
of heartbreak amid
soft pianos,
acoustic guitars, mournful
strings and muted horns.
But if
you think that sounds
too slick,
fear not. This effort is
so
homegrown and organic that
you can even hear the
click of
the metronome on some
tracks.
There’s something
about a
failed relationship that
brings
out the best in
artists. I’m thinking
of Bob Dylan’s Blood
On The
Tracks or Jackson
Browne’s I’m
Alive. This album doesn’t
quite
rise to those lofty
heights, but
it is certainly worth
a listen.
In A Word: Shattered
Grade: B+
—by Ken Shane