EVERYTHING about Gerard Way's debut solo album evokes times gone by.
The over-saturated, out of focus images on the artwork of Hesitant Alien gives it that retro feel and the music itself might bring memories back of 'Generation X' bands like the Smashing Pumpkins and even Britpop.
You get the sense that Way is trying to distance himself from his old days as the former frontman of the popular goth pop band, My Chemical Romance.
The result is admirable collection of diverse songs. Some are inspired, some are a little awkward but the album as a whole stands out from the crowd.
That goes for Hesitant Alien's production too. Thanks to some brilliant work in the studio, Way's single, No Shows, sounds different every time you listen to it because there is so much going on in the background.
But by the same token a lot of the vocals on the album are drowned out (perhaps again to give it that retro sound).
Among the highlights are power pop single, Action Cat, the almost psychedelic, Get The Gang Together, and Brother, which is refreshingly simple and catchy given the scatter gun approach of crazy riffs and styles all over the album.
It is clear that Way has the charisma to pull this off. His sold-out run of live dates in November is evident of that.
But it will be interesting to see if his My Chemical Romance fans stick with him long term.
DAVID MORGAN
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