lambchops's Full Review: Friends and Lovers * by Bernard Butler
Coming off of the success of his work with Suede, Bernard Butler had some pretty big shoes to fill. Unfortunately with his 1998 debut People Move On little was accomplished in furthering his career. That album was too ambitious and too highly produced for the kind of music it contained.
So when it came to picking up Butler’s second solo effort, Friends and Lovers, I was hoping that the talented guitarist and decently adept singer would be able to bounce back from the brink of embarrassment. And he did—with the much simpler and much more straightforward 2000 release. It is, without question, the superior of his two solo efforts to date but still pales in comparison to the work he did with Suede and to his work with David McAlmont.
Friends and Lovers is chock full of the straight ahead glam-space pop-rock that made Suede successful. Butler, a fiercely independent musician, manages to wear the hat of producer, writer, performer, and singer. And overall it comes off well. Of course, there are problems with Friends and Lovers. Not in the songs really, but in the fact that little proves exciting or particularly noteworthy. Friends and Lovers is on the whole absolutely easy to listen to and even much of the second half is “samey” I can’t help but enjoy much of what the perfectionist put to tape.
My favorite songs are among the first few in the track listing (with an exception or two). Friends & Lovers, I’d Do It Again If I Could, You Must Go On, No Easy Way Out and Has Your Mind Got Away? are the clear standouts. Most of what I like here happens to be the fast, kinetic, and of the toe-tapping variety with exceptions to No Easy Way Out and the truly ambitious and absolutely successfully sweeping Has Your Mind Got Away?
Even as I say I like those two slower offerings, I wholly believe that it will be the catchier tracks that will get and hold the attention of listeners. For example, my favorite song is I’d Do It Again It If I Could. Why? Well, merely one listen proves rewarding. The song itself is neatly and intelligently produced without being heavy-handed (as was the issue with the whole of people move on). The guitars are thick and stocked with melody. And finally, I can’t help but mention that the song is fitting to Butler’s sometimes weak voice. Not just that—but it’s not challenging. I’d Do It Again If I Could is fun, easy, and lively. It possesses all the good things that go into having a hit single.
And fortunate for Butler there are other similarly successful songs here. For many of the same reasons I like title track and album opener Friends & Lovers. It is funky, strange, a full of whirring and whizzing production that lends itself well to the overall tone without overwhelming Butler’s boyish voice. Between the first two songs the album really began strongly. And there are a few other flashes of this brilliance. Most notably successful are the mid-tempo piano-driven glam rocker You Must Go On and the thoughtful ballad No Easy Way Out.
Overall, Friends and Lovers is a good album. While I have to admit that there are downfalls especially when it comes to the aforementioned “sameness” and it occasionally becoming predictable and even boring (yes—it is true) the album is a major step in the right direction for Butler’s solo career. Good enough for me.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Friends & Lovers
02. I'd Do It Again If I Could
03. Cocoon
04. Smile
05. You Must Go On
06. No Easy Way Out
07. Everyone I Know Is Falling Apart
08. What Happened To Me
09. Let's Go Away
10. Precious
11. Has Your Mind Got Away?
12. You'll Feel It When You're Mine
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