Yamaha Synths, 80s kitsch, Simple Minds– the first things that spring to mind when listening to Jim Kerr’s debut solo work. Upon hearing the album it is entirely forgivable to presume that Lost Boy! AKA Jim Kerr is another Simple Minds album. That isn’t to say I hated it, I just didn’t find it particularly original or inspiring – but hey, why reinvent the wheel eh? A pastiche of the 80s, the album plays heavily on the memory of the music we already associate Kerr with. As an 80s kid myself, the album merely evoked memories of me dancing along to Top of the Pops (not a particularly great image I assure you).
‘She Fell in Love With Silence’ and ‘Silence’ are the two tracks that you would be most pushed to distinguish as entirely solo efforts, more influenced by Simple Minds than the others. ‘Remember Asia’ and ‘Return of the King’ are Bowie esque, ‘Nail Through My Heart’ and ‘Soloman Solohead’ are the darker tracks.
The album was never going to be a ‘fresh’ sound – it is produced by Jez Coad who also plays guitars and keyboards and has worked with Kerr in Simple Minds and drumming comes from Mel Gaynor, Simple Minds’ drummer.
What I will say though is that none of the tracks are badly written. They are catchy (I can imagine them being bellowed at stadium gigs, albeit at those in the 1980s), mixing 80s drum machines and chorus pedal guitars with the synths. If you were looking for a fresh, original and inspiring album then this isn’t for you. If, however, you love the 80s pop/rock sound of Simple Minds then this is for you! Kerr’s referencing of Peter Pan in the album’s title is quite apt (whether he realised just how apt is another matter), as this album is clearly embedded in the nostalgia of the 80s – Kerr simply doesn’t want to grow up!
EDEL GROUP 16.5.10