How do they do it? Simple Minds threatened to undo some of their good work with 2016’s acoustic album, which only served to underline just how essential electronics are to their best work. While they might not be considered dance, Jim Kerr and his band can point to the number of electronic musicians who cite their early work as strongly influential – and on ‘Walk Between Worlds’ they explore this side of their writing once again. This is a very strong album, both lyrically and musically, and Kerr’s vocals are thoughtful and relatively low in the mix, bringing forward a sensitive side that really suits him. The single ‘Magic’ is a great example of this, a strong radio presence but with fuzzy electronics high in the mix. ‘The Signal And The Noise’ takes this one step further, while elsewhere the group use strings to powerful and lasting effect. Definitely a continuation of their recent plugged-in form.
Ben Hogwood
4 out of 5
