REVIEW: Bernard Butler, People Move On (Creation/Columbia)
- Robin Lapid
You could tell Bernard Butler would end up doing the type of music offered on his debut solo album, People Move On, if you listen to his previous work with David McAlmont. Taking over singing duties for the first time (as well as nearly every other job on the album except percussion and strings), the former Suede guitarist has surprised everyone with very accomplished vocals - he has a sweet, near-falsetto timbre that blends seamlessly into its sonic landscape. Each song aspires toward a four-minute epic rule, stewing up hooky pop melodies delivered via a soulful Motown vibe, while Butler conjures the muse of Neil Young. Perhaps recalling his one-off work with the Verve, the album also revels in a huge flourish of orchestra strings, sometimes subtle but often wending their way toward a dramatic finish, not very far off from McAlmont and Butler's "Yes" single.
"Woman I Know" starts everything off with a deep, mellow soul sound that earmarks the rest of the album. Symphonic anthems like "Not Alone" and "Stay" get to where they're going in due time, and the semi-acoustic songs cleanse the palette. Even the inordinate amount of strings still occupy their rightful place in the song. Butler delivers low-key, understated guitar solos and sometimes even replaces them with equally beautiful piano or mellotron or string interludes.
But it almost sounds too perfect. The songs tend to get overwhelmed by their heavy production -- they try too hard to please and complete themselves when sometimes they should remain dangling, a little off, not so refined to the point that they lose definition. Every instrument and vocal blends so well that the song drifts effortlessly into the ether at a point when you need something weighty to ground you. Lyrically, Butler bares his soul and seems to allude to the fruition of recent personal highs, including marriage and new fatherhood, but the voice and the music can't really find their own niche, their own personality. The vocals are smooth but not haunting, the music catchy but not gripping, the songs accomplished but not necessarily unique, although as a contributing and solo artist Butler always hints at the best possibilities.
People do move on, and you can tell Butler probably doesn't have the, "What, wear the red shirt again? Not bloody likely!!" exchanges he did while serving Suede's glam-rock factions. He's settled down now, and so has the music. People Move On is an impressive enough debut, but I hope in time Butler will dig meatier roots into his musical ethos and have the confidence to take more chances.
