Fresh Wine for the Horses

by

Rob Dickinson

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Let me first say that I think Rob's former band Catherine Wheel was THE most criminally underrated band of the entire 90's! Amazing album after amazing album, with a groundbreaking sound that I still hear in newer, more unexplainably popular bands today, and they couldn't get arrested! (Perhaps it was their name, which unfortunately may have caused their albums to end up in the 'Female Folk Singers' category at most record stores!) Sadly, the switch of labels from Mercury to Sony, instead of giving them the push they so greatly needed, served to simply let them fade away into self-described "hiatus". So, it was with great anticipation that I picked up Rob's long-awaited solo release. While not too reminiscent of the Wheel, it's still SO great to hear his wonderful and expressive voice again! I guess this could be considered a more "adult" or "lighter" version of the Wheel's sound, since he was, after all, their songwriter. But don't let that stop you from enjoying one of the best albums I've heard this year. And, CW fans can rejoice that two songs, both leftovers from the underrated "Wishville" album, are included here, and reunite three of the four Wheel members, along with frequent collaborator Tim Friese-Green! I only hope that alternative radio catches onto the first single "My name is love" and turns it into the hit it oughta be! For Rob Dickinson, major stardom is long overdue and well-deserved! May he 1) find success with this solo release, and 2) reunite the mighty Catherine Wheel again!

And after five years of silence, Rob Dickinson makes a Catherine Wheel album without (sort of) Wheels 2-4. The rest of the CW crew help out on a few songs, but the truth is the entire album sounds very much like a continuation of the last CW album, WISHVILLE. And that's a good thing cuz because that album was a very mature and satisfying effort. So is this one. THE NIGHT is a gorgeous bit of work. Actually, the first three tracks are a heckuva 1-2-3 punch. The album loses some momentum in the middle but then finishes in stride. Not gonna turn any new heads here but for any fan of CW this is a nice addition to the canon. Really, the disc is worth it for THE NIGHT alone. Just beautiful.