Richard Ashcroft – Lovin’ You Review

Better to judge an album by its cover and gut instinct than be stuck listening to it. That is a style of listening most will use but it also means their experiences are guided by what they already know. People know Richard Ashcroft already and therefore will return to him irrespective of what they think of the singles. This happens in all walks of art. A show will be rebooted here, a sequel to a smash hit film there. Even To Kill a Mockingbird received a follow-up. People like to engage with what they already know because the understanding of said project comes through quicker. You can get to grips with the principles of Lovin’ You, this latest Ashcroft album, simply by picturing the album in a mesh crate bargain bin at Asda. It has the look of a discounted album, and the sound too. Ashcroft clears house after opening for Oasis. Anything he released here would be decent enough fodder to warrant booking a few arena shows. Smart business, awful music. 

Lead single Lover is an embarrassing opener. A song which speaks no truth and has nothing of instrumental interest to offer audiences. It is the nastiest start you could possibly have for an album. Inevitably, it gets worse from there. Those who enjoy Lovin’ You are likely the same people who bought Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1. Ashcroft is a recognisable name which, for many, is a link back to their glory days, the youthful period where they could brag about getting The Verve tickets for less than £50 in a subreddit of like-minded people scared of their future. But it’s the necessity of life to cut ties to things you have no time for. Ashcroft as a solo artist and frontman elsewhere has a deep enough discography that, for those who invested time in years before responsibilities cropped up, are going to be hard-pressed to move from. Lovin’ You is an album for those who don’t have the time to experience new music.  

You have heard all these songs before and the softer touch to them means they barely hold any sort of impact. Out of These Blues has that floaty feeling to it now synonymous with washed-up guitar rock stars. Ashcroft is hardly standing out with these lyrics anyway, a likely reason for the instrumental mass, a vibrating noise of no interest, overwhelms his vocals. Heavy News has all the hallmarks of a stagnant guitar rock release. Its generalities are trivial, its hearty core the absolute lowest rung on the emotional ladder. Soulless, hollow calls to fight the fight, whatever the occasion may be. Love is a tough topic to write on not just because it implies an openness and experience from the artist, but because the volume of songs revolving around make-ups and breakdowns is overwhelming.  

Finding the right voice, the one that speaks to you, is all part of the fun in listening to new musicians. Why, then, would anyone stick with Ashcroft? His instrumentals are charmless, and while his vocal range remains fantastic, the drop-off in quality for his lyrics is the real heartbreak here. Oh L’amour is a pathetically hollow piece of work but it’s nothing compared to the pop misery of I’m a Rebel. Nothing says revolutionary like a withering vocal pitch and a beat you’ve heard before. Lovin’ You is passive at the best of times, and some who no longer have time to learn of new music will like that. It’s just noise to them at the end of the day. Find Another Reason has some cringe-inducing lyrics where energy is spoken into power, where Ashcroft puts his arm around you and asks if you’re okay. Doing well, thanks. Put those hands back on the production booth and start again. It can’t get worse than this.