When Chris Martin declared Ashcroft, ‘the best singer in the world’ on the stage of last year’s Live 8 gig, I cringed, and then wondered why. Well, for starters I know that the easily led UK music media seems to hang on Martin’s every word, and it would be a declaration oft repeated on TV and elsewhere. Then, of course, both acts are label mates and it’s likely that their appearance together on stage was close to a ‘promo’ event, designed to help Ashcroft’s new album sales following previous solo releases that scanned below expectations. I also recently noticed that Ashcroft is supporting Coldplay on the band’s forthcoming UK tour. My conclusion is that the music business is becoming even more incestuous, and increasingly we have to trust the judgement of our own ears. On the evidence of KEYS TO THE WORLD there is nothing that Coldplay can teach veteran Ashcroft. Of course he doesn’t have the best voice in the world, but it is a strong voice, an expressive voice, and a distinctive one.

In songwriting terms, KEYS TO THE WORLD represents the best from Ashcroft since the demise of the Verve back in 1999. The opener, Why Not Nothing, is a storming, rocky combination of Dylan and the Stones. It crashes through the sound barrier, with a strong melody, and a vocal that seems to have broken away from invisible shackles. It’s powerhouse stuff and a great start to the album. Music Is Power is a pop, gospel-tinged, ballad with a more disciplined soundscape that includes a solid combination of instruments. Perhaps not a great song but it’s no filler either. Next up is the excellent single Break The Night With Colour. A beautiful melody underpins a loping song with strong lyrics, and a passionate Ashcroft vocal. It’s a cracker that performed live sounds as good as it does on record.

The pace and mood of the album are nicely diverse; there’s the glacial introspection of Words Get In The Way, and the beautiful, stripped-down, sincere folk vibe of Sweet Brother Malcolm - an album highlight. Then there’s the bouncing, piano-backed ambience of another distinctive highlight, Simple Song. Medium-paced, optimistic rock tune World Keeps Turning, concludes an album that Ashcroft, and his fans, can be happy with. Recommended.

3.5/5