Simply Red: Mick Hucknall (vocals); Dave Clayton, Gota Yashiki, Sarah Brown, Simon Hale, Anthea Clarke.
The UK pop/soul act Simply Red maintained a fairly low profile in the United States during the first few years of the 21st century, but that changed with the 2005 release of SIMPLIFIED. Issued on the Verve Forecast imprint, the album presents vocalist Mick Hucknall and company easing into new arrangements of their most well-known songs, including "Holding Back the Years," which gets a gentle, flamenco-inflected rendition. Hucknall's distinctive voice is in fine form here, and though the red-haired frontman unveils a more subdued approach on some tunes, he showcases his passionate singing on a number of tracks, most notably the previously unreleased single "Perfect Love," which coasts along on Cuban-influenced rhythms and a celebratory Santana-like vibe.
What the critics say...
Mojo (Publisher) (p.98) - 4 stars out of 5 - "Re-done with stealthy jazz arrangements, 'Your Mirror' and 'Fairground' sound sensuous and tender..."
