(Touchwood)

Brian Howe, best known as the replacement for Paul Rodgers in supergroup Bad Company, has moved on to a solo career. As lead singer for Bad Company, Howe made a substantial contribution to two of their multiplatinum albums, Dangerous Age and Holy Water. Holy Water was released in 1990, and Howe left the band not long after, so it's taken a while to determine his musical direction.

Instead of fronting a band, Howe has decided to go it alone. Tangled In Blue is his first solo album, and it's a departure from hard rocking Bad Company. This is a lovely 10-track set of blue-eyed ballads. Putting aside the Bad Company influence, Howe's songs are more like those of Don Henley and Bryan Adams. All songs are co-written by Brian Howe, and for a first venture into this genre, the lyrics are mellow, emotional and ring true without being maudlin. The songs are about emotions, mostly love and its problems. There are sure to be at least a couple here that hit home for each listener. The ones that do tend to be painful; Howe understands the meaning of "good lovin' gone bad".

Brian Howe says he wants to move into the adult contemporary arena and stay awhile. To that end he has written "Tangled In Blue" which reflects love's conflicts and pains and sets the tone for the entire album. It's curious that this one is at the middle of the album and not first. Another favorite is "I Remember You", recalling past loves and wondering where they are. With lovely ballads like these, Brian Howe no longer wants to rock you out of the stadium. It seems he wants to ease you into a bedroom - where (honestly) most of the album was recorded. He has the music and the voice. Romantics can use a singer/songwriter like this.