Ian Brown Solarized CD

SOLARIZED is former Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown's fourth solo outing. Like his legendary first band and previous solo albums, SOLARIZED combines heady electric guitar sounds, club-derived dance beats, winding Middle Eastern-themed melodies, and memorable pop hooks. There are idiosyncratic flourishes here and there, like the loungy, down-tempo trip-hop of "The Sweet Fantastic" and the mariachi-styled horns on "Time Is My Everything," but, for the most part, Brown sticks to the groovy, swirling guitar-based Brit-pop he does best.

Opener "Longsight M13" leads off with a snake-charmer verse, orbiting guitar leads, and electronic frippery before sinking into the heavy dance groove of the chorus. The expansive melody of "Destiny or Circumstance" proves Brown has retained his ability to construct durable tunes, while "Kiss Ya Lips (No I.D.)" rides a jumpy, infectious house beat. "Keep What Ya Got" was co-written by Oasis figurehead Noel Gallagher, and the resulting single (which bears traces of both Oasis and the Stone Roses) is a textbook example of minor-key Brit-pop. The album is shot through with deeply textured production and effects, backwards guitar, and massive solos in ways that should please Brown fanatics.

On his fourth solo album, Ian Brown marches on as confidently as ever, mixing mystical aural textures with massively addictive melodies. Album opener "Longsight M13" is as catchy as any song in Brown's back catalog and continues the spacy vibes of his previous full-length effort, Music of the Spheres. "Time Is My Everything" blends Stone Roses ephemera with dusty Spanish horns straight out of an Ennio Morricone spaghetti Western film score, while a goth guitar backdrop on "Destiny or Circumstance" warps the mind like nothing since the Sisters of Mercy. There is sometimes a sense, as on the title track, that Brown has gone a little too far into the stratosphere, if not wacky Kula Shaker territory, but the album's strident catchiness and Brown's wispy, wired voice are grounding forces strong enough to drown out any sense of tackiness. For every step into Middle Eastern exoticism, there's also a step to the dancefloor or a turn to early-'80s electro, such as "Kiss Ya Lips (No I.D.)" or the sprightly, wired background keyboards on "Longsight M13." Stone Roses fans who haven't tracked Brown's musical progress after that band's breakup will find much to love on Solarized, another mini-masterpiece that perfectly balances mood and melody. [The U.S. edition of the album includes one song that was included as a bonus track on the Japanese edtion of Solarized ("Happy Ever After") and one unique bonus track: "Lovebug" .] ~ Tim DiGravina

Recording information: Jacob's Studios, Surrey, England; Strongroom Studios, East London, England; The Pierce Rooms Hammersmith, West London, England; Townhouse Studios, West London, England; Wheeler End Studios, Buckinghamshire, England.

Photographer: Fabiola Quiroz Brown.

Personnel: Ian Brown (guitar, acoustic guitar, harmonica, keyboards, tambourine); Ian Brown (vocals); Tim Hutton (various instruments, guitar, trumpet, horns); Tim Wills (guitar, piano); Pat Murdoch, Paul Robinson, Aziz Ibrahim (guitar); Noel Gallagher (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, background vocals); Charlie Waddington (electric guitar, keyboards, bass guitar); Casey Brown (keyboards); Maxi, Dan Bierton (drums); Inda Goldfinger (percussion); Tracey Ray (background vocals); Frankie Brown (guitar); Darren Moss (melodica, keyboards, drums); Dave McCracken (keyboards, drums, programming).

Audio Mixer: Steve Fitzmaurice.