As has been said many times before, the problem with The Stone Roses' amazing, iconic self-titled album is that the expectation levels for future works by the foursome from Manchester were somewhere over the horizon, if not even over the rainbow in terms of attainability.

The latest single by former Roses guitarist John Squire, now singer, co-writer and guitarist, unfortunately does not even reach the middle distance. Musically it is nice enough, with plenty of guitars and lively drum rhythms (cymbals high in the mix, of course) but lyrically it is banal, the chorus being: "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 / Flights to your door / Room in Brooklyn." And when later "1, 5, 2, 5, 3, 5, 4" is rhymed with someone "knocking at your door" despair looms large.

Clearly a talented chap - the cover is an intriguing oil painting by Squire - he should team up with a good lyricist (and vocalist) if he wants to move back to the levels of popularity he previously enjoyed.

John Squire - Time Changes Everything

John Squire - Joe Louis

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