Reviews

So, the fourth solo album from Ricky Ross. It's taken 3 years for these songs to 'creep up' on Ricky Ross; a collection of songs brought together through natural accumulation rather than an overt burst of intense songwriting.

As a result of this leisurely writing process the 12 songs on 'Pale Rider' are imbued with a sense of deliberate crafting - nothing is over-bearing or over-complicated. A tendency for simplicity is evident here: acoustic guitar and piano dominate most of these songs. On the opening track 'She Gets Me Inside", Ricky delivers a touching love song with a stripped-down acoustic arrangement and his trademark raspy warm vocals setting the tone for the rest of the album. Highlights include the haunting title-track 'Pale Rider' with its evocative slide guitar; the powerful and increasingly catchy 'Boys Break The Things They Love The Most' and the final two songs 'History' and 'In The End'. These final two songs are written about Graeme Kelling, the Deacon Blue guitarist who passed away last year. It's obvious that these last two songs are Ricky at his most revealing, and they are very moving to listen to.

So, all in all, an album that further establishes Ricky Ross as a solo artist distinct from the back catalogue of Deacon Blue albums that are inevitably invoked when his name is mentioned. 'Pale Rider' pleases because it's full of well-written songs, but it impresses because of its authenticity.