Rating:

(EMI International, 2006) “How the mighty have fallen…” That has been the running theme to the solo career of one Richard Ashcroft. “He can’t top Urban Hymns” people say, in reference to his previous band’s highwater mark. But, do we act the same way when any artist from a famous band breaks away and releases a solo album? The answer is almost always “yes”, and though it isn’t fair to Mr. Ashcroft, I will say that Keys to the World doesn’t hold a candle to Urban Hymns.

But it does rate well among his other solo albums. Starting with the lush Alone with Everybody, Ashcroft has laid a solid template from which to work from. The problem with his second album, Human Conditions, is that he forgot to make adjustments to the template. Meaning Conditions came off as a weak rehash of Alone with Everybody.

At the very least, Keys to the World changes up Ashcroft’s template. Starting with the stirring “Why Not Nothing”, Keys is different from the outset. This is the way albums are meant to start. With a rush of sounds, and a catchy tune. “Why Not Nothing” almost rocks. It is certainly one of the fastest moving tracks he has in his whole catalogue. He follows that up with the Curtis Mayfield sampling “Music is Power”. A catchy tune, absolutely, but lyrics like “Music is power/Let it float through your mind” don’t inspire confidence. Lead single “Break the Night with Colour” is next and it delivers. Starting with a lite piano line, and building to the gorgeous chorus, this is Ashcroft’s best single since “Lucky Man” off of the aformentioned Urban Hymns. So far so good, but then we get into the middle of the album, and Ashcroft retreats from the progress that he has made. “Words Just Get in the Way” is a clunky ballad, with more horrible lyrics. The title track incorporates a mild hip hop beat, and a wailing vocal sample, to little effect. “I got the keys to the world/mixed up world” an effective chorus does not make. “Sweet Brother Malcolm” is a quiet acoustic character study, but lacks any passion or real vision. The lowpoint comes in the form of “Why do Lovers?” with the lyrical gem “Why do lovers/Choose others.” Yikes. Some relief comes in the near rocking “Simple Song”, but the closing “World Keeps Turning” is especially weak. It must be said, though, that Ashcroft is in fine voice throughout. His honeyed baritone has added some grit over the years, and it has added to the depth of some of the songs.

So why does this record get three beats and not less? Well, compared to the rest of his solo output, Keys to the World stands tall. But compared to his work with the mighty Verve, it doesn’t come close.

 1. Why Not Nothing?

 2. Music Is Power

 3. Break the Night with Colour

 4. Words Just Get in the Way

 5. Keys to the World

 6. Sweet Brother Malcolm

 7. Cry Til Morning

 8. Why Do Lovers?

 9. Simple Song

10. World Keeps Turning

Buy album

– Jeff Crowder

This 3-beetsreview was posted on August 8th, 2006. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.