SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ANDY BELL – STRANGE LOOPS & OUTER PSYCH

Andy Bell
Strange Loops & Outer Psych
Sonic Cathedral

Ride guitarist and vocalist Andy Bell has released his latest solo album, Strange Loops & Outer Psych. It consists of covers, remixes, and acoustic renditions of songs from his previous album, Flicker. Bell shows that despite being in the music scene since the late 80s, he has no intention of slowing down any time soon.

Bell’s cover of Arthur Russell’s “Our Last Night Together” is the best track. His soothing and mesmerizing voice, combined with the calm and gentle piano and shoegaze elements, make the song very dreamy. He does a great job at recapturing the beauty of Russell’s song. His gorgeous cover of The Kinks “The Way Love Used To Be” is another standout track. It offers a unique spin on a classic tune without losing the endearing message of the original.

Bell’s acoustic versions of songs from Flicker are all excellent, and most outshine the originals. That is not to say the original Flicker recordings of the songs are bad. It is just that the simplicity and minimalistic approach of only Andy Bell’s voice and an acoustic guitar are so enthralling and beautiful to listen to. “Something Like Love” is the best example of this. Both versions of the song are incredible, but the acoustic version is perfect from start to finish and demonstrates how powerful Bell’s vocals are.

The remixes are what drag this album down. They have catchy beats and are unique but overstay their welcome. It would have been better if Bell had done more acoustic versions of songs from Flicker.

Strange Loops and Outer Psych provides excellent acoustic rearrangements of songs from Flicker and beautiful covers of classic songs. However, it also features some pretty average remixes.

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