With four full lengths and hits such as Hungry, Catch and All In My Head in their repertoire, Kosheen must surely go from strength to strength with the release of ‘Solitude’, right?
Well, unfortunately, and with heavy heart, the answer is wrong. ‘Solitude’ comes off as a possible soundtrack to a dour, arty sci-fi film, with none of the sophisticated songwriting that characterised ‘Resist’ or ‘Kokopelli’.
Where those albums had an electronic base, they also brought Sian Evans’ excellent vocals and some sparkling instrumentation to the table. Too much of ‘Solitude’ is quite the opposite – there are hardly any fireworks at all in comparison to the days of old.
The focus seems to have fallen more on electronics and atmosphere than on the songs themselves. Divided, Harder They Fall and Here & Now are the high points and, in fairness, that’s not because they're the most ‘Kosheen’ - they are fine songs in their own right.
Divided is driven by a powerful beat, lead single Harder They Fall is similarly percussive and snatches some house undertones, while Here & Now is a gentle, effective ending to the album. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of ‘Solitude’ is the waste of Evans' amazing and unique vocal ability. These songs are lost without her as their focal point.
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