Former Klaxon's frontman James Righton releases his new solo album, The Performer, via Deewee, which travels through time from the '70s to the present day...

The Performer opens promisingly with the title track, which has an upbeat, retro sound. Over the course of 9 tracks (35 min, 53 sec) James Righton spreads his net far and wide to deliver a diverse and interesting collection of original songs.

'Edie' and 'See the Monster' have a very similar riff - which wouldn't have been so obvious if they hadn't been placed next to each other. However, 'See the Monster' soon descends ever so slightly into '70s psychedelic pop. This theme carries on into 'Devil is Loose' before moving on to a trippy, chilled out jazz vibe in 'Lessons In Dreamland, Pt. 1'.

'Start' is an upbeat, instantly memorable song with a catchy chorus. 'Are You With Me' slows everything down a little with a more laid back sound. 'Heavy Heart' opens like a cliched Barry White song... slow and sexy...

The album wraps up with 'Lessons In Dreamland, Pt. 2', a piano and percussion track which is this album's heart.

7

Nick Smithson