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It was the reunion that no one was expecting. Their first album, 'The Sound
of McAlmont and Butler', met with no great interest, despite coming right in
the middle of the Britpop era and containing the staggering pop epic 'Yes'.
And then, of course, there was the well-publicised rift between the quiet
Bernard Butler and the flamboyant David McAlmont, as their differences
caused the odd couple to fall out.
The split seemed permanent, as both
went off to pursue their solo careers. Though Butler's debut album 'People
Move On' won great acclaim, few people bought it, while the follow-up is now
only to be found in bargain bins and charity shops. As for McAlmont, no-one
noticed that he was actually still releasing material.
So, the failure of their solo careers seems to have brought about an
enforced reconciliation in the spirit that things can hardly get any worse
for either of them. Over the opening chords, we are told: "This is a recording, this is a microphone. The microphone is working and
the story's gotta be told. This is the birth, here are the strings. Mix it
all in, and let the story."
Without meaning to be nasty, this statement belies a complete lack of
confidence, not to mention originality. While we are relieved to hear that
the microphone is indeed working, it is nevertheless unclear why this story
has to be told.
The story of this album is: build on what the pair previously did, namely an
attempt to successfully fuse Butler and McAlmont's favoured musical genres,
'guitar-led big sounding indie'� and 'funky old style soul'� respectively.
The second track, 'Falling', which is the first single to be taken off the
album, is a self-conscious attempt to recreate the swooping glories of
'Yes', the result of which is, thankfully, a gloriously swooping slice of
indie soul. Very encouragingly, the following track, 'Different Strokes',
has less of an indie feel, but has just as much enjoyable energy and sonic
scope.
But just as we are getting geared up for more of the same, it all gets a bit
disappointing. The title track 'Bring It Back' is another great unashamedly
poppy epic, while 'Sunny Boy' finds a rare tenderness and sensitivity, but
these are very much the exceptions.
The more expansive tracks lack the requisite passion and originality, while
Butler's quieter indie numbers just come across as faintly.
There are encouraging signs of real quality here, though the whole project
feels worryingly close to the musical equivalent of ex-lovers getting
back together just because no one else will have them.
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