The solo album can present a tricky prospect for many mature artists as they drift in and out of the public consciousness. Do they make a stab at a variety of styles to display their artistic depth; do they get on the latest bandwagon to show they’re still down with the kids; or do they stay true to their original vision and stick doggedly to it? For his first album in 10 years, the man once known in the Oasis camp as Captain Rock has plumped for the first alternative and sunk pretty much a bit of everything into These People.
There may be an expected whiff of The Verve here and there and this especially shows itself on album highlight “They Don’t Owe Me”, which sees Ashcroft lay down a smooth anthemic ballad soaked in lush production and orchestral support. “Picture Of You” brings late ‘70s Lou Reed to the party and “Out Of My Body” even begins with a dash of Lee Hazelwood’s cowboy blues. Elsewhere, however, the vibe of one of his more commercially successful imitators is almost overpowering, as “This Is How It Feels”, “These People” and a couple of others all sound like could have been put out by Coldplay.
Unfortunately, that isn’t even the worst of it. For “Hold On” and the bulk of “Out Of My Body”, things take an unlikely turn with Ashcroft plugging in the electronics and assailing the listener with cheesy synth-pop and anthemic house music sounds. While it is all very laudable that the former Mad Richard is not doing what the listening public might expect from him, this isn’t pleasant and it doesn’t work.
These People is the cry of a man who desperately needs to be working with a band of fellow sonic travellers who share a common vision, because Richard Ashcroft sounds completely at sea here.