Ian Brown
Ripples

THE REVIEW

The long-awaited reunion of the Stone Roses giants did not produce the hoped-for results.

Sure, there was a series of sold-out dates and two brand new singles were released, one forgettable and one sensational: what would have come out of a potential new studio work will remain a mystery, as everything fell apart, and the only Rose to have decided to move forward in a concrete way is the legendary frontman Ian Brown, who had not produced new solo music since "My Way" in 2009, and returns after ten years with this new "Ripples."

Comprising eight absolute new tracks and two (beautiful) covers, King Monkey's seventh album is mostly a family affair: he self-produced it, personally played various instruments, and included his children in the band. The result is a good album, far from being a masterpiece, but equipped with more than one arrow in its quiver.

Opened by the nice single "First World Problems," which with its pounding beat seems like a sort of "Sympathy For The Devil" rehashed by Primal Scream, "Ripples" is an album that prioritizes the creation of enveloping and incisive grooves, leaving immediacy to very few episodes (the cover of Barrington Levy's "Black Roses," presented in a britrock version, is an example) and preferring a groovier approach in different episodes (whether simpler, as in the case of "Breathe And Breathe Easy" and "Blue Sky Day," or with a funkier groove, as in the aforementioned single and the excellent title track).

Special mention to Ian Brown's vocal performance, certainly not known for being a highly talented voice: here he manages really well, puts his heart into it and you can feel it—perhaps that is also why he chose to make it a very "domestic" project. It was important for him to have total and absolute control, so that all the honors and responsibilities would be attributable to him, and him alone.

King Monkey, in summary, returns to the scene (as he always has) in his own way. And it is perhaps for this reason that we continue to hold him in such high regard.

Best Track: Ripples