The Style Council: The Cost Of Loving - 1987
After the high point that was the politically-motivated Our Favourite Shop from 1985, two years later the Style Council were back with a shorter album of more polished, professional-sounding soul-funk-pop, tapping into what was now starting to be called “R 'n' B” - laid back, synth-drummy late night US-influenced radio soul.
The album was much less instant and “in your face” than its predecessor, tending to wash over you somewhat. Don't let that put you off, though, there was still some good material on here.
The two singles from the album, the soulful Waiting and the even more relaxing and very appealing It Didn't Matter are probably the unsurprisingly twin high spots.
The stark and pointed A Woman's Song and also Fairy Tales both show that Weller had not quite lost his political edge, but overall, it seemed as if he wanted to drop the political opinionating and just chill out, man. The plain orange cover seemed to exemplify that feeling too. Bright, one dimensional but just maybe lacking a little in individual personality?
Right To Go featured rap/hip-hop, for the first time since A Gospel on 1983’s debut album, from guests The Dynamic Three. However, it does, unfortunately, sound dreadfully naive all these years later.
Angel is another of the album’s high points though, a beautiful soul ballad. Heavens Above, The Cost Of Loving and Walking The Night are all eminently listenable tracks - good hooks, nice soul feel and Weller’s voice now sounding as good as it could get.
The sound on this remastered release is good, as warm and full as it can be given that The Style Council's output was always rather trebly and while this album is often cited as being the start of The Style Council’s decline (I guess commercially that was certainly true), personally I have always found it to be an enjoyable listen every now and again. The fact that in 2020 I still dig it out has to be a compliment. It is, however, very much of its time in many ways.
