RICHARD ASHCROFT
Keys to the World
Parlaphone
· Third solo release by former Verve frontman.
The Verve was poised to be in Coldplay’s envious position in the mid-’90s, with three excellent albums, a mega hit with "Bittersweet Symphony" and sold-out tours in the UK. Now, seven years after the Verve’s alliance fell apart, former front man Richard Ashcroft has been filling the warm-up slot for the British supergroup’s recent North American tour. The galaxy has thrown him a bone, essentially.
Now let’s use a common analogy here. Let’s say bright-eyed, blond-locked Coldplay front man Chris Martin represents Luke Skywalker and the gaunt, brunette-haired Ashcroft is Darth Vader. Where Martin radiates light and hope, Ashcroft has always carried with him an air of dark defeat that comes through in his magnificently melancholic songwriting. The title track is one of the most beautiful and haunting songs I’ve heard in a long time.
The masses will ultimately root for the good side, as evidenced by the legions of fans that have made Coldplay into superstars. And don’t get me wrong – I’m a Coldplay fan, too. But I’ve always secretly identified a little more with the dark side.
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