Bring It Back

It's Curtis Mayfield, Ryan Adams and Aretha Franklin speeding through San Francisco with the hood down, listening to a compilation tape of funky grooves and sweet soul, but whether Butler would ever have seen himself involved with such a roadtrip 10 years ago is another matter. It's certainly a long way from the eerie green streets that Suede's Dog Man Star stalked. If Bring It Back attained classic status with a dizzy array of unforgettable songs, then perhaps it wouldn't feel quite as much as though Butler is wasting his time with such projects. He needs a band, and to form a songwriting partnership that will nurture his delicate (and presently wasted) talent. "If I should spread my wings I could fly away", McAlmont croons in the lavish "Falling". Let's hope for the future of British guitar music that he does. --Ben Johncock