Richard Ashcroft: Keys To The World

Three albums into Ashcroft s solo career, Keys To The World finds itself still with a lot to prove, even if only to the critics. His post-Verve career has, perhaps inevitably, been something of a disappointment, but this could change all that. First out o

Three albums into Ashcroft's solo career, Keys To The World finds itself still with a lot to prove, even if only to the critics.

His post-Verve career has, perhaps inevitably, been something of a disappointment, but this could change all that.

First out of the traps, Why Not Nothing genuinely impresses and surprises with a bounding beat and confident swagger.

Break The Night With Colour and Sweet Brother Malcolm are an impressive trio, but the rest reside lower down the tune ranks.

Ignore his God-like history and this compares well with the likes of Starsailor and the myriad other MOR indie stars, with a couple of competition-pasting tracks and as many that are best ignored. 3/5