Yes, yes, yes...! Andy Bell dropped a new single, Something Like Love, yesterday as a precursor to his second solo album, Flicker, released on 11th February. YouTube and Facebook comments have proclaimed it a natural successor to Vapour Trail by Ride, released three decades ago, and it's easy to see the comparison. It's a beautful, acoustic driven song, with a mellotron undercurrent lending a wistful yet uplifting tone that complements the lyrics.
A year ago, John Grant released The Only Baby as the lead-in for what proved to be one of my favourite albums of 2021. Has Andy done the same with Something Like Love and Flicker? Too soon to say but it's enough that I've pre-ordered Flicker and I'm eagerly looking forward to what comes next.
The single is backed by a lovely cover of The Way Love Used To Be, written by Ray Davies and released by The Kinks waaaay back in 1971. It's a perfect choice and provides a musical and lyrical golden thread, linking The Kinks, Ride and Andy Bell over half a century.
Buy Something Like Love and pre-order Flicker on Bandcamp
Totally obsessed with Something Like Love! Absolutely the first great song of 2022. The bar is placed high and it’s only the second weeks of January.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right, Echorich! I was a little hesitant about the John Grant comparison, especially if 2022 turns out to be as rich a year as 2021, but I have been playing Something Like Love constantly these past few days.
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