Bands can survive without their singer, Steve Diggle seems to be making a go of it without Pete Shelley in The Buzzcocks and Big Country still tour many a year after the passing of Stuart Adamson.
However, there are bands that must be led by their original singer, Echo & the Bunnymen fall into that category as you can just not imagine them without Ian McCulloch leading the line.
However, McCulloch had said the band had split as he pursued a solo career, but the band decided to continue, sadly drummer Peter di Freitas died but Will Sergeant and Les Pattison brought in singer Noel Burke and released this album.
So, is it any good?
If you listened to this and had no idea who the band were you would find it a perfectly enjoyable album. Maybe they should have called themselves something else as it’s just not the Bunnymen without McCulloch and that works against them.
It opens with the best two songs Gone, Gone, Gone and Enlighten Me. Sergeant seems to have gone for a more psychedelic sound to his playing and Burke’s vocals, nothing like McCulloch’s and not a criticism, are impressive on two guitar driven enjoyable tracks.
King of Your Castle and Thick-Skinned World are both worthy of anyone’s time and Flaming Red is an excellent ballad, though you wish it were McCulloch singing.
A couple of songs are just okay Devilment and Freaks Dwell spring to mind, but the album ends with the excellent False Goodbyes.
Sadly, it was goodbye for this incarnation of the Bunnymen and McCulloch and Sergeant were soon back together.
This album has been consigned to the “let’s not talk about it ever” in the bands career, it deserves far more than this.
6.75/10
GIVE IT A STREAM: Gone, Gone, Gone