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His voice sounds better than ever, and while nothing here recaptures the glory years of The Verve, his songs are more focused than ever before.
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Too much is sodden with his overbearing ego.
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How the mighty have truly fallen.
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Give or take the odd tweak - a Bittersweet Symphony-ish orchestral sample on Music Is Power, some dated-sounding world music influence on the title track - Keys to the World sticks fast to the blueprint: soft-rock plod, songs that abandon verses and choruses in favour of dragging out a simple chord sequence to the point of distraction.
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UncutThe qualities that once made The Verve the nation's top anthemists are recognisably intact on this new effort, from its stately pace to its burnished sense of grandeur. [Feb 2006, p.70]
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Swept up in maudlin strings and chintzy brass, Ashcroft blurs his anguished syllables like Tom Petty doing Bob Dylan, embraces U2-jerkoff bombast, and follows his idiosyncratically generic muse into uncharted depths. Keys to the World is as hilariously indulgent as "Trapped in the Closet", if vastly less self-aware; it's also a more laughable satire of contemporary music than Bang Bang Rock 'n' Roll, though less durable and totally accidental.
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Sure it’s full of unwavering confidence and some pretty songs, but the dull groove Richard Ashcroft seems to have settled into is striking.
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His voice is bland and has little variety.
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Q MagazineRarely has he sung this well. [Feb 2006, p.99]
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A deeply personal, occasionally lifeless but equally insightful passage into the latest chapter of Richard Ashcroft's life story.
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New Musical Express (NME)What compensates for 'Keys To The World''s shortcomings... is that voice. [21 Jan 2006, p.33]
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Keys to the World does have a few great moments, but it's not the definitive solo record he's been promising.
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MojoVery focused and quietly anthemic. [Feb 2006, p.92]
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[Ashcroft] possesses one of the definitive rock voices and has an undeniable gift for melody, but he pairs those talents here with truly insipid lyrics and uninspired MOR arrangements.
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In trying to wrest profundity from simplicity, Keys to the World is only profoundly disappointing.
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For the most part, Keys To The World is a definite step forward and demonstrates that Ashcroft is finally hitting his stride as a solo artist.
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Under The RadarWhat both sinks and saves the album is Ashcroft's songwriting. [#13, p.90]
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SpinMore corny than convincing. [May 2006, p.91]
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Not terribly different [from 'Human Conditions'], though certainly more pastoral and perhaps more middle of the road.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 46 out of 67
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Mixed: 9 out of 67
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Negative: 12 out of 67
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Aug 31, 2019Richard is so talended that hearing him live made me love him more and enjoy his songs more after that.
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Radiolab?Dec 7, 2009
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MarcAJul 27, 2006A great and simple album from Richard Ashcroft.