Over 35 years on from the release of his chart-topping mega hit ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, Rick Astley returns, dropping a full-length album steeped in americana and soulful, country vibes.
28 years ago, Rick Astley walked away from the music industry, seemingly forever. Despite this, Astley came back, leaving us with a number one album, Beautiful Life. Now, he brings us his next work, Are We There Yet, an album that gives us several strong, catchy and soul-filled pieces but falls short of a perfect album thanks to weaker and less inventive tracks.
The 12-track album begins with ‘Dippin My Feet’, a pop-styled tune with beefy bass hook and country style, a strong one for fans of George Ezra. ‘Letting Go’ is the album’s second track, which is one of the album’s more repetitive songs. The song feels more like a filler track due to a lack of a strong hook and uninteresting melodies and chords. However, ‘Golden Hour’ is a track that really showcases the smoothness of Astley’s vocals, alongside a guitar riff in unison with the vocals, full of passion, with more soulful chord changes, a much needed step up.
The soul tones continue to elevate in ‘Never Gonna Stop’, a sparse intro which showcases how Astley’s vocals have matured like a fine wine. A vulnerable and inquisitive tune, with lyrics that question concepts like purpose and meaning, this is a personal favourite and strong contender for the best track on the album. Track five is ‘Close (Your Shoes)’, a piano-centred ballad about placing yourself in others’ shoes and togetherness. Despite the song constantly building, the tension is not released in a dramatic or powerful manner, resulting in a mundane listen. ‘High Enough’ features more unique instrumentation, coming from the presence of marimba and a guitar using some wide sweeping tremolo bar action alongside some interesting vocal sections, yet falls short due to uninventive melodies and lack of climax.
Track seven, ‘Forever and More’, falls in with a much more solid hook and more interesting harmonies. With the feeling of freedom but also of regret within the lyrical content, the song features a simple, yet effective guitar riff throughout, turning into stabbing, upbeat chords and driving percussion. ‘Driving Me Crazy’ is a smooth tune which showcases Astley’s unison style of guitar playing again, in an easy listening pop-country style. ‘Maria Love’ is my personal contender for the best track on the album, a pushing 70’s style, snare driven percussion with a Motown feel. The song holds a stronger hook than most of the other tracks, leaving room for the instrumentation alongside the lyrical content, with an intro reminiscent of ‘Little Green Bag’ by George Baker. ‘Take Me Back to Your Place’, a song about reconnecting with an old lover, holds a strong repeating chordal piano hook and develops well, something that should hold up in the other songs. The album closes out with ‘Blue Sky’, a piano ballad showcasing Astley’s deep and rich vocal lines with arpeggiated and romantic sounding keys. The song speaks on difficulties with being in the public eye and being observed, before introducing orchestral elements. An emotional tune, the song is a calming yet dramatic, building piece which closes out the album in a fashion that showcases Astley’s smooth and delicate vocal skills.
Overall, while the album has songs that had potential but were lacking development, the stronger songs hold up well despite the repetitive, overly pop-styled nature of the weaker tracks. The album doesn’t reflect Astley in his prime but a more mature singer, who has come back to give us a different perspective and feel to his music. However, the lack of interesting or signature sound detracts from the album. While I personally won’t be returning to the album, Astley’s comeback with this new album shows us that he has more to offer. With his appearances alongside The Foo Fighters and Blossoms in recent live shows Astley’s career isn’t over yet. We wait to see what more will come from the 80’s legend.
6/10