“Time’s a great healer” Richard Ashcroft sings on standout new track ‘Birds fly’.  It’s a philosophy which has served him well since 2000’s ‘Alone with everybody’ solo debut, an album shifting Ashcroft’s modus operandi away from psychedelic guitars into acoustically led songs underpinned by lush string arrangements and driving Mowtown rhythm sections.

‘Natural Rebel’, for the most part, finds Ashcroft playing acoustic rock with soul and Americana influences, holding firm to his belief in stripping songs right back to their core intent.  It’s a technique which works perfectly on ‘All my dreams’, Birds fly’ and ‘We all bleed’, songs which both showcase Ashcroft’s ability to match his, often overlooked, soul vocals with rolling guitars and lyrics about love, power and searching for a higher cosmic truth.  Thoughtful and introvert these are defining Ashcroft moments and, whisper it, reminiscent of ‘Sonnet’.

Charged closer ‘Money Money’, a distant relative of ‘C’mon people’, finishes the album with guitars plugged in, a northern soul beat, and anti-capitalist views.  Time’s a great healer, sure, but you never lose your core beliefs.

 

 

Edited slightly for Narc to read:

“Time’s a great healer” Richard Ashcroft sings on standout new track ‘Birds fly’. It’s a philosophy which has served him well since 2000’s ‘Alone with everybody’ solo debut, an album shifting Ashcroft’s modus operandi away from psychedelic guitars into acoustically led songs underpinned by lush string arrangements.
‘Natural Rebel’, for the most part, builds on this sound and holds firm to the belief in stripping songs right back, a technique which works perfectly on ‘All my dreams’, Birds fly’ and ‘We all bleed’, songs which showcase Ashcroft’s soul vocals and commitment to themes of love, power and searching for higher cosmic truths. Thoughtful and introvert, parts of ‘Natural Rebel’ will become defining moments in an iconoclastic career.