Music : Soul On Fire

Rating: - Great!
Why is it with every new release everyone says 'Spiritualized have gone for a more stripped back sound with this album...'?

Someone is bound to be writing that right now about the forthcoming album that this single is taken from and will probably write the same about this too. The sentence immediatly after will refer to Jason's brush with death and make all sorts of connections too, I'm Sure. However, I'm not going to write about either of those things, on purpose. But I see why they will be written.

In a way, I think this single is a return to previous sounds-I think it sounds most like 'Lazer Guided' mixed with 'Stop you cryin'. However, the production is far closer to the mixing of 'Amazing Grace' (pleasingly so-the instruments seem to speak for themselves rather than be fed through any effects or compression-y thingys). This is particularly noticable on 'Harmony 2', which is a superb little quiet piece of piano ambiance. SOudns like a soundtrack to a silent black and white film set on a beach. conjures up memories and thoughts. it's beautiful and has that jazz tinge that Spz do so well.

As for the single itself, it good. I like it. I hope it's not the best thing on the album, but then I don't think the Spz singles are the best tracks they do. It has strong links, as I have mentioned earlier, with 'Stop your crying' in that it has a quiet verse and repeated, choir backed chorus. The tremelo guitar build ups to the chorus' are great little additions to the acoustic versions we've heard before on the 'Acoustic Mainlines' tour.

I'm sure many people will tell you this single is awful as it does not tred any real new Spz ground, but then those people will probably also hate the album because it's not 'Lazer Guided' or 'Ladies and Gentlemen' again.

It's good.