Simple Minds
Black & White 050505
Simple Minds have returned with their first new studio album since 2002's Cry. If anyone thought that Black & White 050505 was going to be another album by an 80's act trying to hold onto past successes, they'd be very disappointed. The album opens with the lush strings and keyboard hook of the epic "Stay Visible." The song escalates with the cry of Charlie Burchill's guitar behind Jim Kerr's unmistakable voice. The song's immediacy sucks you into the passion driving many of the album's tracks. The first single, "Home," has a Billy Idol vibe as Kerr sings, "God gave me travelin' shoes and I knew that it was time to go." The upbeat "Stranger" could be the most likened to U2's intro to "Numb" with throbbing bass and atmospheric keyboard textures. Possibly the song that sounds furthest from their early work would be "Different World" but that's not a snub as it shows that, with Black & White 050505, the Simple Minds are going unafraid into the future with a balance of modern production and classic writing... successfully.