1.Falling (4:17) 2.Your Memory (4:05) 3.If You Want (3:31)
It certainly took long enough. [David] McAlmont and [Bernard] Butler, first worked together shortly after the latter's departure from Suede, producing the most soul-infulenced Britpop anthem 'Yes' and the epic follow-up hit 'You Do'. This was about as far as they got before an exceptionally acrimonious break-up. The two singles, their eight B-sides and one unreleased track were compiled into the underappreciated album The Sound of McAlmont & Butler, but by this stage the pair were not on speaking terms. McAlmont had custody of his remarkable voice and enjoyed a couple of very minor hits (the unjustly overlooked 'Look At Yourself' reached number 40), whilst Butler enjoyed slightly more chart success with his solo recordings, for all that his vocals were best described as "unimpressive".
Finally, both came to the conclusion that there was unfinished business (possibly because they no longer had record deals as solo artists) and reconvened for their first true studio album, the aptly-named Bring It Back. This lead single aims for the anthemic quality of 'Yes'. It doesn't quite manage that but there's a good solid soul beat (Pete Lockett is credited with percussion) and the hookline is creepingly insistent. McAlmont's lyric is a plea for rescue "Can't you hear me calling, I'm falling... for you" which - intentionally or otherwise - is hard to disocciate from the duo's own story. I was actually on holiday when the single came out and didn't get round to buying it until some time later; and judging by the chart position I may not have been the only one. It was a bit of a loyalty purchase for me, as I'd been unconvinced by the song on the radio, but it does sound better on CD.
"You are young now, but not forever," begins Your Memory It's a vague rumination on regret, coloured with another attractive string arrangement (by Butler and Billy McGee, father of his former record label boss) a judiciously discreet barrage of guitar noise (Butler again) and an underused French horn. There's a slight paucity of excitement though.
If the topicality of the A-side might be a coincidence, that of If You Want is so blatant that it can only be intentional - maybe even sarcastically so. Accompanied only by piano and what sounds like a harmonium, McAlmont calls out to a former partner: "Are you with anyone?/Is it pleasing?" and asks to meet up again. He even goes so far as to include "I was thinking of you, I was talking of you/ And I thought, well why not?". McAlmont's vocals, always reliable, are particularly outstanding here, aided by the sparse arrangement and close miking.
None of this record is particularly astounding, but all of it is perfectly enjoyable. The duo followed this single with the album's title track (which might have been a better choice of first single) but have been quiet since, although they are still recording together and Butler has cropped up as a guitarist here and there.
ONLINE:
Official site.
The record label site offers a video clip.
There's also a decent fan site.
And an officially-sanctioned Yahoo Group.
Bernard Butler has a site of his own too.
Back to the random single project