Is His Self-Confidence Justified?
The man with the swagger and self confidence to rival both the Gallagher brothers and Ian Brown combined returns with a double AA side release from his third solo album, 'Keys To The World' and it seems his religious rants aren't quite laid to rest just yet.
Never one to shy away from controversial topics, Ashcroft's 'Why Not Nothing?' is a stripped back thundering chunk of bluesy rock that tackles the issue of whether there is a higher purpose in life or not; a nice light subject then for the ex-Verve front man to set a pop melody to. With such an inviting melody and infectious beats you soon become so invigorated by the music that Ashcroft's rants about "abuse of the cross" and his suggestion of "putting all the God squads in the docks where they belong" go past almost unnoticed. A fate not destined for Ashcroft's second offering, 'Sweet Brother Malcolm', a poignant ballad with a semi folk characteristic that works perfectly alongside Ashcroft's gravel tinged vocals as it gently glides, winding its way into your affections.
His swagger and self-belief may have been questioned since his Verve days and his religious outbursts may not generate him a wave of new fans, but there is no denying Richard Ashcroft's ability to craft a lyrically rich and musically enticing track. Maybe there's something to all his confidence after all...