Bernard Butler: People Move On : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Sulky guitarist Bernard Butler was a major creative force behind leading Brit-poppers Suede, but when he quit in 1994, nobody expected the guy to start singing himself -- and certainly not with the deftness shown on his solo debut. The successful unveiling of Butler's pipes is People Move On's most significant surprise; his brand of vocalizing turns out to be a likably raspy cross between The The's Matt Johnson and Humble Pie's Steve Marriott at their least histrionic. The old-fashioned big-pop-production quality of the songs (a far cry from his former band's campy glam rock) means extra fun. Almost every track swims in strings, either real or via mellotron, and the operative tempo description throughout is "unrushed." Two cuts, "Woman I Know" and "Autograph," stretch well beyond the eight-minute mark but never outstay their welcome. Add some frisky guitar work and you've got a stately, near-Spectorian delight. (RS 790/791)

MAC RANDALL