Love Is a Retro-Flavored British Pop Album

Some artists are more compelling in theory than in practice, Po Tidholm writes in his review of Dexys Midnight Runners' new album, Love. Their history can overshadow the music itself, turning listening into an exercise in research rather than a personal experience.

Love is the fourth album Dexys Midnight Runners have released since re-forming in 2012, after a 27-year break. Kevin Rowland, now 73, published a substantial autobiography last year, one Tidholm characterizes as closer to a confession. The album continues that autobiographical thread and has been described by Rowland as a final chapter.

My Life in England appears in two versions and frames the album. Old Love stands out as a deeply affecting song about growing older in relation to oneself and one's surroundings. Yet Tidholm finds most of Love to be a retro-flavored British pop record. Many arrangements recall the expansive radio music of the 1980s, ironically the style Dexys once stood against.

Rowland's voice presents another obstacle for the reviewer: a penetrating tenor paired with unusual diction. Tidholm gives the album three stars out of five and says he still has some way to go before he can embrace it. His choice for the best track is Old Love.