Cornwell

Hugh Cornwell's third proper solo album since leaving the Stranglers, Hi Fi, ranks with the most confident and accessible work of his career. Any fans of Cornwell's old band should keep in mind that this most clearly recalls the latter-day pop-influenced Stanglers material, rather than the thuggish misogyny of their earlier work, and while Cornwell certainly sounds a bit cranky on several of these tunes, "One Day at a Time" and "Lay Back on Me Pal" reflect a welcome compassion that he's gained with the years. (Don't worry, though – "Leave Me Alone" and "Putting You In The Shade" prove he's still got plenty of problems with people. Nice to know some things never change.) For the most part, Hi Fi is pleasingly tuneful, with strong pop melodies and a winning psychedelic undertow on tunes like "All the Colours of the Rainbow," "The Prison's Going Down," and "Gingerbread Girl" (the last of which appears in two versions on the album's American release – the string-fortified original take, and a dubwise electronic remix from Black Dog Productions). Cornwell's vocals and songwriting are in fine shape, Laurie Latham's production is clean and serves the material well, and if Hi Fi isn't exactly a startling step forward for Cornwell.

Like most compilations from his old group the Stranglers, Hugh Cornwell's first solo collection subscribes to the "leave them wanting more" theory, as it whets the appetite instead of fully satisfying. If this was the be-all, end-all when it comes to Hugh's first six solo albums, then cuts like "Picked Up by the Wind" and "Black Hair Black Eyes Black Suit" would be included, but brevity is the thing here, and this tight, no-filler track list packs quite the punch, and that's hard to argue against. New song "Live It and Breathe It" lives up to the other numbers here – as opposed to when the Stranglers would screw up comps with throwaways like a cover of "96 Tears" – and the black humor of the old days is back with the cover art that features Hugh's well-done plus well-revered solo albums, along with a sledgehammer that says "F*ck it all!"