Bernard Butler
People Move On
»
Bernard Butler
People Move On
Creation, 1998
RiYL: Nick Drake, Neil Young, Suede, Phil Spector, Radiohead |
In short, they were simply too British.
Butler stayed with Suede not quite through two albums and then called it quits. After a few on-and-off years, he recorded an album with singer David McAlmont. The Sounds Of McAlmont And Butler is a fabulous album, but the small U.S. demand for gay, black, males who wear blue lipstick made its chances of success slim from the start. Like his previous collaboration with Suede, this endeavor also ended acrimoniously, leaving Butler once again on his own. But this time instead of looking for another vocalist, Butler decided to go it alone and recorded a stunning debut album, People Move On.
When Butler released "Stay," the first single from the album, the general reaction was, "Wow, he can sing, too!" Butler has often been hailed as one of the best guitarists of his generation, but most assumed the boy couldn't carry a tune. Truth is he has a beautiful voice -- almost angelic -- and the public soon realized "Stay" was a pop masterpiece. With a haunting melody, romantic strings, and a piano break that rings through your head, it's an epic tune that shows Butler doing everything he does best.
Though "Stay" remains People's best track, the rest of the album nearly extends its brilliance. "Woman I Know" is a powerful, gorgeous ballad. "Not Alone" is another great mini-epic like "Stay," and "You Just Know" rocks harder than anything on the album. The rest of the songs fall just short of greatness -- but only just short.
People Move On shows a songwriter coming into his own. Butler has always been a strong arranger and musician, but with this album he has taken on every role. He plays all instruments barring drums, strings, and horns and produces the album. Not only does he sing, but he's also writing the words.
The results aren't perfect -- some of the lyrics are a bit cliched, though always well meant, and he sometimes heads off into long musical tangents (the outro to "Autograph" is the most glaring example). But when one considers everything Butler is doing here, it's really quite impressive. Few of today's pop musicians could undertake such a daunting task and create an album of such beauty. It's really a shame America hasn't embraced Butler, but with a long future ahead of him, they still have time.
BRADLEY SMITH |