loveandtherussianwinter

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Love and the Russian Winter

Okay, I know I said "Blue" (in its infinite, classic Simply Red soulfulness) was Simply Red's best effort to date.

Well, then along came "Love and the Russian Winter."

I was blown away when I listened to this album the first time through. This CD, I think, sums up best what Simply Red is about: soul, soul, and more soul in a blend that's uniquely theirs. As usual Mick Hucknall delivers the goods in the smooth tenor voice fans (and critics) have come to know so well. But this time around, it seems his voice has much more depth and emotion. Whether its from practice, slick production (courtesy of Mick, Gota Yashiki, and Andy Wright), or an emotional growth on Hucknall's part it suits the timbre of this album, a collection of upbeat/hopeful, if mellow tunes ("Your Eyes" & "More Than A Dream") with a couple of upbeat dance tunes ("Ain't That A Lot Of Love") and sweet ballads ("Thank You" & "Wave The Old World Goodbye") tossed in the mix.

What touches me and sells me most on this album is its seeming "coming of age" quality. About coming to terms with the past and starting off in a new direction (as is the theme of the last track on the album "Wave The Old World Goodbye"). No matter what Mick Hucknall writes about (love, romance, politics, the state of the world, etc.), it always rings tru wtih a sincerity that's hard to come by in a lot of today's music.

That and it's nice to see an album of all-original material from Simply Red for a change.