There is only one way with Ian Brown, and that’s his own – such is his confident musical stance these days. His voice has really bloomed in the last few years so that vocally he’s a lot more assured, and his cocksure delivery suits these songs to a tee. None is better than the magisterial ‘Stellify’, one of the singles of the year, but there’s not much in it, whether it’s the slightly odd mariachi treatment of ‘In The Year 2525’ or the stately progressions of ‘For The Glory’. Some of the music lies under a heavy dub influence, the first few tracks having a satisfying thud to the bass drum, while Brown works in some interesting colours and, as always, a curious lyric or two. He’s now one of British pop’s finest statesmen – and is getting better all the time.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Ben Hogwood