Fridays 9:00PM ET
Richard Ashcroft
Keys To The World is crammed full of cleverly crafted anthems that wouldn't sound out of place on Broadway. Then again, Richard Ashcroft has never been one to shun a powerballard. Sumptuous strings, angry saxophones and luscious harpsichords throughout; there is nothing on "Keys To The World" resembling the raw garage band sound of the current crop of Indie hopefuls. "Words just get in the way", begins with beautifully disparate piano and ascends into a grandiose string arrangement, offering a refrain that refuses to escape the part of your brain that had taken nearly six years to rid itself of "A Song For The Lovers". "Sweet Brother Malcolm" gives even more credence to Coldplay front man Chris Martin's claims that Ashcroft is "the best singer in the world". Ashcroft himself is at pains to accept such high praise, "I will never sing as sweetly as Marvin Gaye" on "Music is Power" the Curtis Mayfield samples suggest he has as much soul.
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