Simple Minds
Direction Of The Heart

We are now at nineteen albums released by Simple Minds, a fundamental Scottish band led by the charismatic Jim Kerr.

Having survived numerous lineup changes and a period of commercial lull (between the late nineties and mid-2010s) and artistic drought (although some albums may have been a bit too heavily criticized, like the excellent "Cry" from 2002), the former Glasgow boys have been experiencing a second spring since the release of "Big Music" in 2014, which started a streak of three albums so good that Kerr and company returned to a level previously thought unreachable (even commercially, with a return to the UK top 5 with the penultimate and excellent "Walk Between Worlds").

We arrive at this "Direction Of The Heart," just released: nine tracks for just under forty minutes of music, not a second wasted, and a state of form that remains enviable and now long-lasting. With the loyal and extraordinary guitarist Charlie Burchill by his side, Kerr has surrounded himself with collaborators who have provided new life to a sound that had dangerously run aground. Consider bassist Ged Grimes (formerly of Danny Wilson, who also co-writes two tracks here) and the extraordinary drummer Cherisse Osei. Co-producing (along with the band itself and Gavin Goldberg) is Andy Wright, already known for his work with Jeff Beck and Simply Red.

"Direction Of The Heart" is on the same excellent level as the previous album; the sound of the record is a purely Simple Minds distillation, with a nice touch of modernity in some tracks like "Act Of Love" (an unreleased track from 1978 finally released on record), "Natural," and "Planet Zero."

There are two beautiful singles that cement the band's sonic blend into an unmistakable proposition: "Vision Thing" opens with a splendid dedication to Kerr's father, who passed away three years ago, while the super catchy "First You Jump" is perhaps the band's most effective single since "Cry." "Human Traffic" (featuring special guest Russell Mael of Sparks) and "Solstice Kiss" sound more updated but without betraying the essence of a band now destined for immortal classic status.

The closure with the cover of "The Walls Came Down," a classic by The Call from 1983, is also beautiful.

Best track: Solstice Kiss