RICHARD ASHCROFT

The fifth solo album from the former Verve frontman is full of terse thrashing guitar gilded with strings. From the title track through the selfrevelation of That’s How Strong, Ashcroft’s gnarled vocal is the sound of a chap confronting the challenges life experience brings. Whereas previous album These People leant heavily on past achievements, Surprised By The Joy (“surprised I’m alive again, say hello to the world again”) confronts the here and now. That’s When I Feel It is a stand-out.