Deacon Blue's music, much as I love it and have done since 1987, has been blighted in recent years, for me, by poor production and an over-loud when not necessary, unsubtle, treble heavy sound.
I love Ricky Ross's songwriting and his and Lorraine MacIntosh's voices, though, so I will never give up on them. When this album started I thought "here we go, more dodgy production" but I have to enthusiastically admit that the album shakes that off quickly, track by track and gets better and better. It ends up as a beautifully cohesive piece of work.
City Of Love starts quietly and then bursts into that now familiar Deacon Blue aural assault of tinny synthesisers and a slightly programmed feel. I guess I just have to put up with it now, as I said, the production has been like this for several years. Despite that, the song, as always, has something, the vocals are uplifting and the melody catchy.
Hit Me Where It Hurts breaks the mould somewhat, though, with a nice deep and warm brooding bass line, for a while at least, before the chorus crashes in. The verses are evocative and atmospheric, however, and Ricky Ross's voice has lost none of its character. The Ricky Ross-Lorraine MacIntosh vocal interplay at two and a half minutes is as inspiring as they always were. They can still do it, bombastic production or not. That's why I keep coming back.
Weight Of The World is a delightful, quiet and understated duet between the two over a subtle piano backing. It is quite beautiful. It has that intrinsic hopeful sadness that Ross's songs invariably have. Instruments are gradually added to the song and they enhance it, classily. Nice one.
The rhythmic Take Me is typical Deacon Blue fare too, in an infectious, slowing building up way. Ross's voice is clear and expressive and it has one of those hooky choruses he specialises in. Classic Deacon Blue.
In Our Room is a fine song, full of archetypal Deacon Blue atmosphere with another excellent lead vocal. The acoustic and catchy backing is understated and less abrasive than on some of the tracks. This time they have got the production right. I really like this one. Good old Ricky and Lorraine - something consistent in difficult times.
Intervals is also a beautiful, gentle number highlighting Lorraine's voice and featuring a fine, rumbling bass line. This is Deacon Blue at their best - tender yet dramatic, romantic and rousing. The quality continues on the mysterious, insistently pulsating Keeping My Faith Alive which has Ross's voice at its most soulful.
It wouldn't be a Deacon Blue album without at least one track that is anthemically captivating, lifting your spirits. Here it is A Walk In The Woods. It is hard to describe what I mean about songs like this, but they just instantly stimulate my emotions - the sweeping strings, the piano, the solid drums, Ross and MacIntosh's voices in glorious tandem. The strings remind me of the sort Bruce Springsteen used on his recent Western Stars album. The lovely Come On In is seductive too, drawing me in. Track by track, they are getting this album right. Wonderful is an enchanting Ross-MacIntosh duet the type of which they seem to be able to do with their eyes shut.
On Love is a wonderfully evocative closer, with Ross narrating the song's beginning, sounding like the late Jackie Leven, looking back at social history before a beautiful chorus breaks out and then we are back to the spoken part. This is repeated several times to great effect. It is a magnificent little cameo, all seven minutes plus of it. A new Deacon Blue classic and one of those songs that just makes you sit up and pay attention. Thanks to Ricky and Lorraine and the band. Your music is a constant in a changing world. All power to you.
