Marc Almond - I’m Not Anyone

After changes in both the personal and professional life of Marc Almond, I’m Not Anyone is a welcome opportunity to take time out for reflection.

Although it’s only been seven years since Marc Almond’s previous covers album Shadows And Reflections, he has fitted a lot in since 2017, even by his standards. Soft Cell reformed for their ‘last ever’ concert then quickly un-farewelled to instead make their superb first album for 20 years. There was a joint album with Jools Holland, plus the swirling drama of 2020’s Chaos And A Dancing Star, an underrated record kneecapped by lockdown.

For anyone with the most casual interest in Almond’s life away from music, his decision to quit London after relocating there as soon as he could with Soft Cell’s first royalties, is the singer’s most dramatic move of all, never mind that he’s ended up living in the Portuguese countryside instead.

That tranquillity has given him a rare moment to relax. Which, in his world, means it’s time to revisit his record collection and rework some favourites in the studio.

Time To Reflect

While Almond’s covers albums have interpreted everyone from Jacques Brel to traditional Russian folk songs, the loose thread has been melodrama – Almond as torch singer rather than the futurist singer of Torch.

That carries on here, Almond stating that these are the songs that make him feel most emotional. Collaborating once again with Mike Stevens who worked on Shadows And Reflections, the artists are largely from Almond’s own childhood, rather than anything from his contemporaries onwards: Neil Diamond, King Crimson, Blue Cheer, Don McLean and Paul Anka are the most familiar names covered.

Broadly speaking, we are in Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart territory here.

None of the songs would be out of place on traditional 1980s Radio 2, which is the blessing and curse of these tracks. A singer as controlled as Almond knows exactly how much to give, and he’s not going to start being wildly OTT now, even though his vocals are distinctive and poised enough to go there if he wanted. That said, the arrangements are occasionally a little too tasteful.

Taking Stock

When Almond sings: “The world is a bad place, a terrible place to live” in Marmalade’s hit Reflections Of My Life, it’s all as light and airy as if he’s covering The Swingle Singers.

The galloping Gone With The Wind (Is My Love) is more like it, the guitar-heavy backing as dramatic as Almond’s voice, matched by bringing out a scurrying urgency in Elusive Butterfly, as popularised by – crikey – Val Doonican.

With the brilliantly tense title track instantly becoming a signature song summarising Almond’s worldview, it’s too dismissive to call I’m Not Anyone a stopgap. Yet there is the sense of Almond taking stock: something to comfort himself and listeners while he decides what’s next. Frequently gorgeous, occasionally cosy: what do you do for an encore?

3½/5

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