219) Gary Numan - Splinter

Ah Gary Numan remember him? The odd clip would appear of him singing his big hits Are Friends Electric? and Cars and then it had been all about him retiring from touring, flying planes and hair transplants. You would occasionally hear that an album was coming out, it would not get the best of reviews would enter the charts in the lower half of the top one hundred and this was the standard repeat, only the Numanoids were still buying his records.

Then The Sugababes went to number one with Freak Like Me which sampled Are Friends Electric, Numan got a co-write, Nine Inch Nails were name checking him and Gary was back in vogue.

Numan slowly rebuilt his career, and harder edged albums received more favourable reviews.

Splinter, on release was his first top twenty album in thirty years but Numan had taken his time and crafted a thoughtful record.

This is not the electronic music he became famous for as heavy industrial guitar and bass with beats added and his vocals are thoughtful and precise, I have read pieces in the past criticising his vocals, but he is spot on here.

The opener I Am Dust sets us on a path for this record an atmospheric opener that lets itself go and then draws itself back in with a driving beat.

Here in the Black is all whispered verses with a building rousing chorus and I could see Everything Comes Down To This belted out by Dave Gahan on a Depeche Mode album, that’s a compliment by the way. The Calling has a beating undercurrent and for Lost Numan is straight in with a restrained vocal over a simple piano, it’s a haunting and beautiful ballad as is the closing track My Last Day (listen to the drums in the last minute), Numan has worked hard on the track listing.

Love Hurt Bleed shows he didn’t need The Sugababes to show him where the dancefloor was and Who Are You? has an interesting almost swamp like background and a chant like chorus.

Gary Numan may have had his peaks and troughs; this is a real peak.

8/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Lost