Since the breakup of The Verve in 1999, Richard Ashcroft has been overlooked in America, despite releasing two well-received solo albums. Keys To The World is more upbeat than Ashcroft's two previous, quieter albums, a fact that comes across immediately in "Why Not Nothing?," which features lively horns and percussion and tackles the issue of whether there really is a higher power. It's heavy subject matter for a catchy pop song, but Ashcroft has proven adept at mixing melody and message. The title track finds Ashcroft musing about ambition and opportunity, over a loop of a haunting female voice wailing in the background, while "Music Is Power" has a fun, energetic groove based on a Curtis Mayfield sample that allows it to transcend its mediocre lyrics.
Ashcroft recruited the London Metropolitan Orchestra to play on several tracks, and they add a nice touch to the folky ballad "Sweet Brother Malcolm," though the numerous string arrangements can be overkill at times, especially on "Why Do Lovers," which would be sappy enough on its own but, with the strings, borders on bombastic. A couple other songs seem a bit dated—"Break The Night With Colour" sounds like it should have appeared on a late-'90s Robbie Williams album—but those are few and far between. For the most part, Keys To The World is a definite step forward and demonstrates that Ashcroft is finally hitting his stride as a solo artist. |