For those not closely attuned to the British pop scene, Richard Ashcroft may just be a name that makes some say, \u201cAshcroft? Wasn\u2019t he, like, some government dude or something?\u201d Well yes, yes he was. His first name was John though. Most casual American listeners who are now in their early twenties do in fact know who Richard Ashcroft is \u2013 they just don\u2019t realize it. He was the lead singer and chief songwriter of The Verve, who came around at the height of the Brit-Pop explosion in the mid-nineties. The Verve were over before they even started, and all they really managed to squeeze out in the states was \u201cBittersweet Symphony,\u201d which is still a radio favorite on both sides of the Atlantic. So it may come as a surprise to most stateside record consumers that Keys To The World <\/i>is Richard Ashcroft\u2019s third solo record since The Verve\u2019s disband. <\/p>\n
This album finds Ashcroft at home, just sort of relaxing with his thoughts \u2013 none of his solo work has the same British grit that The Verve were so good at producing, but that has mostly to do with timing. That same British-grit would sound dated on any record released in the year 2006. This is an older Ashcroft and a wiser one. It is becoming clear that Ashcroft could be one of those songwriters who may never release a groundbreaking or seminal record, just one who will release consistently decent ones for as long as he is making them. <\/p>\n
The album\u2019s opener and first single, \u201cWhy Not Nothing?\u201d is the most upbeat tune of the ten songs on Keys To The World<\/i>. The rest, typical of Richard Ashcroft, fall nicely into place, making the record an excellent \u201canytime\u201d spin. \u201cMusic Is Power\u201d is blissful, radio-friendly pop that makes perfect use of his trademark, symphonic-seventies, Elton John-esque string section. The strongest song is the title track, which is unmistakably British and one of the better songs in his entire catalogue. Lyrically speaking, Ashcroft has never been anything special; what sells the words is the voice \u2013 he has arguably one of the most beautiful voices in rock music today. This is why he can get away with lines like, \u201cMusic is power\/Let it flow through your mind\/Just like a flower, in the deep sunshine.\u201d <\/p>\n
Even if Richard Ashcroft is consistently good, and he is, Keys To The World<\/i> is by far the weakest of his three solo records: not because the songs aren\u2019t good \u2013 \u00a0they\u2019re fine \u2013\u00a0 but\u00a0 because they aren\u2019t nearly as spellbinding as the ones on his other records.\u00a0 One thing is for sure: Ashcroft is as inspiring here as he always is. In