aaamusic | On 04, Mar 2012

Former Wet, Wet, Wet bassist, Graeme Clark makes his solo debut with his album Mr Understanding. His website states that during “the past 7 years Graeme has been involved in a number of collaborative efforts writing songs and music for various people and projects”. When you piece these facts together you may already have an idea of what his solo project offers up.

Technically and indeed musically, Clark’s album is certainly well produced and the tracks are arranged as professionally as you would expect for an artist who has had nearly thirty years experience in the business. Graeme Clark includes doses of pop ballads alongside country and western tunes and never really sounds out his depth. Tracks such as ‘Kiss of Life’ and ‘All I Want Are You’, are gentle ballads, whilst ‘Bulletproof’ provides a honky-tonk feel.

Despite its fine production and varied collection of influences, Mr Understanding never threatens to sound any more significant than an easy listening album. ‘Lost at Sea’ is melodious and heart-felt; coming close to sounding like a Jimmy Webb song, but it is both too brief and too late. One can never help but wonder with regards to band members going solo after a hiatus that the reason for the delay is a lack of really outstanding material. That would seem to be the case here, as Clark’s debut album, though technically solid, sadly demonstrates a lack of musical originality.

 

Will Pye