OVER the years, Britpop’s reputation may have been tarnished but Mark Morriss, former lead singer of The Bluetones, was always one of its shining lights. A Flash Of Darkness, his second solo album, is full of the the same intriguing wordplay and earworm melodies with an engrossing mix of folk, indie, strings and brass.
Fittingly for the title, some of the lyrics supply a sad undercurrent, most noticeable on Low Company and the brilliant It’s Hard To Be Good All The Time.
There are also two strong covers: Pink Bullets (The Shins) is true to the original, while a total reconstruction of Kavinsky’s Nightcall gives it a weird emotional edge.
Closer Sleep Song is the stand-out with its exploding chorus, and the 42-year-old even gets away with ending on a sax solo.
A Flash Of Darkness is Morriss’s strongest material in years.
Michael Lee Bell
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