Johnny Borrells Borrell 1 is out Monday 22 July 2013
If Johnny Borrell planned on quashing the myth that he is a narcissist, he should have chosen a different name for his debut solo album. As it is, he called it Borrell 1, sending ripples of mockery around the Internet. And it doesnt stop there. With titles such as Ladder To Your Bed, Erotic Letter and Pan-European Supermodel Song (Oh! Gina) its no wonder the Guardian called upon readers to nominate the albums most ridiculous song title.
Rewind six years, and Borrell was whipping his sweaty curls around sell-out Wembley shows as the front man of Razorlight. Revelling in his role as Indies poster boy, he graced the magazine covers, dated Kirsten Dunst () and stomped around Live 8 like he owned the place - a megawatt megastar with an attitude to match.
Now, since Razorlights star has waned, has Borrell anything left to offer? Perhaps. His first solo attempt mixes tropical-sounding percussion with piano and saxophone and of course, an infectious melody or two.
Power To The Woman, the albums opener, kicks things off with gusto, as the saxophone sounds meander their way around Borells vowels. But some of the songs that follow are unmemorable, merging into each other repetitively. One might think hes lost his golden touch.
Soon though, it becomes clear that he had no intention of penning a sing-along anthem like Somewhere Else. Instead, it sounds like hes just having fun, making music that he wants to make nothing more, nothing less. And, when hes already flown to superstardom and back again, why shouldnt he?
