Richard Butler
Richard Butler
Koch
By David Chiu
For those expecting Richard Butler’s solo album to sound anything like his work in the Psychedelic Furs, or even Love Spit Love for that matter, the only thing that is recognizable are his familiar raspy voice and lyrics. Richard Butler is not an excursion into post-punk ’80s nostalgia of The Psychedelic Furs or Talk Talk Talk; this new album is bathed in atmosphere and electronics, courtesy of producer Jon Carin (Pink Floyd). That’s not a bad thing of course—this is Butler’s most personal work and the sonic backdrop lends itself to the songs such as “Good Days Bad Days,” “Breathe,” the folkish “Sentimental Airlines,” and “Milk” (the songs would make great use for a movie or TV soundtrack) For the most part, Richard Butler is quite heartfelt lyrically and musically, if somber— worlds away from the sometimes biting wit and irony of his past works. Diehards can leave their expectations for the next Furs album. This one, however, is solid.
NewBeats 