Lostboy!

I took a bit of a risk on this and I am very glad I did. The sound, unsurprisingly, is not a million miles from that on Graffiti Soul - both albums have the same producer - but the songs are a little more full-on and rocky. The reason for the Sparkle in the Rain reference is that it has a similar stadium rock feel to that album, only with more of the sound of Simple Minds' recent work.It's taken Jim Kerr a long time to put out a solo album but I'm glad he finally got around to it. This is a no-brainer for anyone who ever liked Simple Minds and a must-have for real fans of the band.

I'm going to start off by commenting about the fantastic CD artwork and booklet. The cover has a cutout outline of portions of Jim Kerr's face with the CD booklet's stark red and black hues peeking out from underneath. The booklet art utilizes a theme of masks, mostly uniform but each with important differences, all set about colorful but dark backgrounds. Very cool. Now, onto the music. For anyone who might be reading this and not know who Jim Kerr (referring to himself as "Lostboy", he will tell you why in the liner notes, it's no big whoop) is let me help you out by informing that he is the lead singer of the Scottish rock band Simple Minds (most famous in the States for the "Don't You Forget About Me" song off the "Breakfast Club" movie soundtrack). Kerr and the Minds have put out more than fifteen albums I think. He's been doing music for over thirty years now and the Minds still have a draw (at least in Europe). For anyone wondering if this is really just another Simple Minds album with Kerr trying to hog the limelight...well, at least in sound it absolutely is. SM Guitarist Burchill is missing here, replaced by Jez Coad. Jones and Gaynor represent SM here.What SM has these days are a great sense of melodic pop rock with a dash of experimentation and a tendency to lose themselves in slower, melancholic songs that don't connect. Gone are the edgier rock or lusher tones that dominated their sound in the 1980s and early 1990s. Passion sometimes comes through, but not enough. Still, quite often they put out strong efforts and overall enjoyable albums. "Lostboy! A.K.A. Jim Kerr" falls near to their more recent releases but I think can nicely be summed up by the first sentence of this paragraph. Kerr will always be the distinct voice of Simple Minds and, unless he should sing differently or have an altogether different musical format (like country), any "solo" release will simply be regarded as another Simple Minds album minus their name.1) Refugee ~ Starts off the album strongly. Energy in the wavery synths, lively drums and an active bass, and subtle guitar lines that are interlayered within the programming make for a song that is feels like many other good intro SM songs. It won't blow the SM fan base away but it should make them feel at least comfortable. This song, to me, strongly feels like a song off of the early portion of Simple Minds' "Black and White 050505" album.2) She Fell In Love With Silence ~ The second song keeps up the energy and is more memorable than the first. Stronger guitar lines and tones are displayed on this song but for anyone wanting a strong guitar oriented album...you will likely be disappointed.3) Shadowland ~ Nice guiatr lines that follow Kerr's vocal melody. Not particularly memorable but well executed.4) Return of the King ~ I have a feeling that this song is not about "The Lord of the Rings" but probably about a departed friend and related associates. It does not have any eulogistic feel. It's a bit of an oddity as Kerr stresses his voice to make it strained and thin on a part of the verse while allowing himself smooth and crooning vocals elsewhere. The music has an alternative electronic vibe to it.5) Red Letter Day ~ Lots and lots of repetition in this one. Nothing special IMO.6) Remember Asia ~ What's this song about? I really don't know. And reading the lyrics doesn't help me (it makes me think of the devastating tsunami of Thailand a few years back). This is a memorable song not so much for the upbeat and steady music (slightly playful and easy to dance to) but for the main lyric of "Will you remember Asia when you've gone?" Most songs aren't asking you questions but this one does and it just strikes me as odd. I am totally overthinking this one because one of the questions, besides "What do you mean?", that I ask is "How can I remember anything when I'm gone?" as I interpret the question from a standpoint of me being gone = dead. This song sticks with me, but it also vexes me!7) Bulletproof Heart ~ A cover of an early Silencers song. Good choice for him. I can't say that he improves on it as the original is brilliant but if Kerr does improve on it it is by way of making the lyrics and vocals bigger and more obvious. I like the original song and I am very contented with this cover (although the guitar work here is the lesser of the two IMO).8) Lostboy ~ The title track fires on all cylinders. An artful feel and Kerr's fine voice on full effect.9) Nail Thru My Heart ~ Kerr didn't even need to sing on this one and it would still be great! Lots of programming and keys, this song feels like an homage to "Sons and Fascination" era minds. It is very effective, very dynamic, and really sustains interest. Kerr doesn't even start singing until somewhere after the two minute mark and reminds you of some of Simple Minds' instrumentals. They were usually pretty good. Anyone remember "Shake Off the Ghosts" from "Sparkle In the Rain"? Great song. This one has a totally different feel, different dynamic. Maybe the best song on the disc.10) Soloman Solohead ~ Buried in this album this song comes off as experimental with drums that feel out of sync. The closest song on the album to early Minds. Probably my least fave of the disc.11) The Waits, Pts. 1 + 2 ~ SM have a track recent track record of ending their albums on less than stellar tracks. This album ender (for those who don't have the bonus tracks) is a nice piece of music and showcases Kerr's warm voice. He alternates singing slow and then slightly sped up before moving back to slow. A pleasant song.12) Mr. Silversmith ~ Bonus track! A slow aggression, both in the music and lyrically, plays throughout the song. Cryptic lyrics, "You can walk away...but you can't hide." Decent for a bonus track.13) Karma To This Rain ~ Bonus track! Aside from an annoying way that he stresses rhymed lyrics on this one (which might kill the song for some) I kind of like it. Good lyrics that are both playful and intelligent, and a nice bass line, permeate the song. The best of the three bonus tracks.14) Sad Stone Child ~ Bonus track! If the album had ended as intended with "The Waits" then I could say that Kerr ended the album with a likable song. With this as the last track I can no longer do that. Slow, ploddingly so, Kerr allows his vocals to be dirtied up through a synthesized vocoder or something. It's almost a dirge. Bleh.In concluding: I like the album. It is very listenable and enjoyable. It's just not even close to being near to Kerr and co.s best. 3.5 stars.

A good solid album by Simple Minds frontman Jim Kerr. could have more energy in spots, but overall it's an enjoyable record.

ok

I have been waiting for a simple minds album, but this is the next best thing. Great album, Jim has not lost his touch..

Great album great artist

Great Debut Solo album! Absolutely love Mr. Kerr's vocals. He has a very distinctive sound. Anxiously awaiting for the follow up!

How under-the-radar is/was this solo album from Simple Minds frontman Jim Kerr? It came out in Europe last year, and July in the States, and I am the first one here to review it! Too bad, as it turns out to be one of the best albums I've heard this year! I've never been the biggest SM fan, but have always liked a lot of their 80's singles, as well as their pre-stardom 1981 masterpiece "Sons and Fascination". Over the last few years, I discovered that they were still putting out albums, and decided to check those out. "Graffiti Soul", "Black & White" and "Neopolis" are great, modern-sounding LP's that should have put them back into the as-popular-as-U2 stratosphere they once (almost) inhabited. Unfortunately (as usual over here), it looks like they are big enough in Europe, but have no presence at all in the States. This solo release at once harkens back to the heyday of Simple Minds, but Kerr is smart enough not to totally revisit his past. Modern sounds and textures clash with the big-80's choruses and melodies of his former band - radio-friendly (what does that mean these days??) composition mixed with experimental - making for one of my favorite albums right now. Check out the samples (at the mp3 section)!