Music review: Bryan Ferry – ‘Avonmore’
Pair Bryan Ferry鈥檚 stylishly slick vocals with an all-star supporting cast and you get an intricate and gorgeous set of arrangements of sophisticated pop elegance.
With the assistance of artists such as Flea, Ronnie Spector, Mark Knopfler and Nile Rodgers, the style-conscious crooner delivers his finest solo effort since 2010鈥檚 鈥淥lympia.鈥�
While Ferry served as the frontman for Roxy Music, I joined the innovative group鈥檚 bandwagon after hearing the intoxicating sounds of memorable songs like 鈥淒ance Away鈥� and 鈥淎ngel Eyes鈥� from 1979鈥檚 鈥淢anifesto.鈥� The lush layering of 鈥淎vonmore鈥� is a welcome return to Roxy Music鈥檚 signature sound featured on the stunning 鈥淎valon鈥� from 1982. On the new material, Ferry鈥檚 melodious crooning is smooth and seductive on 鈥淢idnight Train,鈥� 鈥淎 Special Kind of Guy鈥� and 鈥淥ne Night Stand,鈥� while style and sophistication converge on 鈥淟oop De Li鈥� and the title track.
鈥淚 had the world on a string and I threw it all away,鈥� laments the iconic singer on 鈥淪oldier of Fortune鈥� as if hoping to correct the mistakes of the past. Ferry collaborates with Johnny Marr on this contemplative number fueled by Marr鈥檚 gentle guitar riffs.
The 69-year-old singer performs two engaging covers to bring the album to a distinguished close. Stephen Sondheim鈥檚 鈥淪end in the Clowns鈥� and Robert Palmer鈥檚 鈥淛ohnny and Mary鈥� are purposely slow with touches of synthesizers carefully cradling Ferry鈥檚 never-aging voice. Under the skillful production of Ferry and Rhett Davies, the arrangements summon an intimate texture of moody and sensual complexity.
鈥淎vonmore鈥� is vintage Ferry at his best, making it an instant contemporary classic.
Clint Rhodes is the 缅北禁地 music reviewer. He can be reached at crhodes@heraldstandard.com.