Bernard Butler
Friends And Lovers
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Bernard Butler
Friends And Lovers
Columbia, 2000
RiYL: Radiohead, Suede, Supergrass |
Butler first rose to stardom as the guitar whiz and co-songwriter of Suede, heralded as the "Best New Band in Britain" in 1993. But he left the band on bitter terms after two albums, and only produced one with his next collaborator, singer David McAlmont. 1998's People Move On was a bona fide solo effort (Butler played all instruments save drums, strings, and horns), but it was still new territory and Butler didn't sound like he was completely comfortable with handling all his new responsibilities.
On Friends And Lovers, however, Butler's confident voice rings clear as it propels his melodies. The songs are supported by lush instrumentation (the most remarkable component being Butler's majestic guitar playing), and they deftly maneuver between loud rock pageantry and soft introspective moments. The title track and first single "I'd Do It Again If I Could" provide the album with a one-two punch of great rock guitar hooks.
There are still sour points -- Butler's voice is not the most original, and he sometimes sounds like he's repeating himself stylistically from track to track. But the album has enough good songs ("No Easy Way Out," "Let's Go Away") and musicianship to serve as a bold step in his solo career instead of another misdirected experiment.
On "Has Your Mind Got Away?," Butler even manages a sneer worthy of Radiohead's Thom Yorke. When you realize that the same guy is wrenching out the mountainous guitar solo, it's pretty impressive. Butler is clearly putting more of himself into the songs, and the result is more confidence in his own abilities. Though he has produced some amazing work through collaboration, Butler proves with Friends And Lovers that he is perfectly capable of creating affecting art on his own.
TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves.