lambchops's Full Review: Alone with Everybody by Richard Ashcroft
For nearly a decade, Richard Ashcroft helmed spacey Britpop band The Verve. That band, best known for song Bitter Sweet Symphony and the legal battle versus The Rolling Stones that ensued had more to offer to the musical world than what met the eye.
The Verve in fact managed two hit songs stateside in their tenure but their success in England was more apparent with nearly ten hit singles in the band’s rather brief run. With a sound that leaned heavily on the tenements of rock n’ roll, The Verve gained a decent following allowing upon breakup the arrival of Ashcroft as a solo artist.
Ashcroft is a gifted singer, songwriter, pianist, and producer in his own right often wearing multiple hats while his band was still together. But whereas his efforts with that act led to large-scale, sweeping rock songs it seems that Ashcroft’s solo work tends to emphasize melody in a small way with fewer instruments and less pretension. His songs have also oozed with passion, but as a solo artist the passion is clearly his own and not that of a band.
Though he may have yet to assemble that perfect solo album, Ashcroft’s two efforts thus far have been fairly remarkable. Debuting in 2000 with the Hut/Virgin release of Alone with Everybody, he made a decent impact on the charts climbing to number 2 on the Heatseekers but yet never making it even into the top 100 of overall album sales. But if listeners had been given a chance to enjoy Ashcroft, his album would have been much more successful. It is certainly not groundbreaking, but the songs are sweet and melodious and not even slightly alienating. Alone with Everybody is a genuine, sweet little disc worth owning for most all fans of less mainstream pop.
Ashcroft is widely known for both his inventiveness and his dedication to his craft. But even at the same time he is known for his creativity, it must be noted that Alone with Everybody is not a groundbreaking effort. It is merely pretty, but with that said pretty is quite often a positive attribute. From the first notes of A Song for the Lovers I’m swept away to a parallel universe where nothing but my heart and happiness matter. Thoughtful and intelligent, the first lead-in melds many elements listeners will be pleased to experience: horns, strings, keys, guitars, drums, and of course also Ashcroft’s classically wonderful voice. I can see why many people might most enjoy this offering, but in the overall scheme of things I believe this album to be pretty even keel.
I Get My Beat is a somewhat less ambitious although equally sparkly song. Populated by simple drums and an acoustic guitar, the track resonates wonderfully. The melody is memorable as are the words and arrangement. Ashcroft proves that he doesn’t need a load of production to sound great. He just DOES. I Get My Beat is truly a standout here, meek and unassuming but worth every moment it plays.
Who the winners in the game were playing
I don't even think they know
Who the losers and how much their paying
I don't even think they know
So much of what follows is in the vein of the first two tracks. All of it is engaging, but none of the material really strikes me as brilliant. But sometimes brilliance will push listeners away--Ashcroft on the other hand should draw many listeners in. Brave New World wistfully wanders across aural landscapes with the same instruments presented on the earlier two tracks. New York on the other hand is a slightly more intense affair. Vaguely funky, the track breaks into typical Britpop territory. Ashcroft’s voice is restrained, yet pointed and piercing.
Aside from the fluidity of these songs, there is also something else that is prevalent throughout this album that is a detriment. Ashcroft may be a good songwriter, but I find the length of these tracks to be overindulgent and usually unnecessary. Pop should “pop.” It should get to the point and wrap up before listeners have time to lose interest. But Ashcroft is either unaware of this important rule or completely unconcerned. This leads to a number of rambling songs that would have been better off a good two minutes shorter. Only the very best songs on Alone with Everybody can withstand five or six or more minutes of interpretation.
I mentioned that I find it hard to pick favorites. But for the benefit of putting adding purpose to this review, I will say that the aforementioned I Get My Beat and New York are definitely highlights with A Song for the Lovers ranking in the second tier. Other particularly lovely tracks include You on My Mind in My Sleep, On a Beach and Money to Burn are also notably good tracks. In particular, I’m drawn to the diversity that these songs bring to the album. Not necessarily in theme (I’ll get to that in a moment), but in sound. You on My Mind in My Sleep is a grand, orchestral rock affair. On a Beach on the other hand incorporates an organ and slide guitars. The tempo is still on target with the rest of the disc, but the instruments are different. Finally, Money to Burn is an incredible, upbeat change of pace. Ashcroft invites listeners to tap their toes and clap their hands along to the beat of the track.
Those songs not mentioned, aren’t bad. On the contrary, they sound fine enough but Ashcroft just doesn’t manage to add anything different or unique to the equation to make them standout. So, yeah, only about half of these songs are particularly good. As a writer, Ashcroft doesn’t speak of little things. You’ll never hear him vocalize about a noun. Rather, he writes about massive concepts like life and happiness and (as on this album) love. Sometimes, I wish he would explore the microcosm in a little more depth. All too often his words sound great, but are much too difficult to grasp as they just glaze the surface.
Anyway, Alone with Everybody is a lovely offering. Homage to love in most cases, the album won’t appeal to rockers but it will certainly appeal to fans of pop, Britpop, and The Verve.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Track Listing:
1. A Song for the Lovers
2. I Get My Beat
3. Brave New World
4. New York
5. You on My Mind in My Sleep
6. Crazy World
7. On a Beach
8. Money to Burn
9. Slow Was My Heart
10. C'mon People (We're Making It Now)
11. Everybody
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