Ian Love

Ian Love has a long history as a guitarist in bands — Burn, Die 116, Rival Schools, Cardia — but he has never stepped out as forcefully as he does here, often preferring to blend in with strong collaborators. In taking the spotlight himself, he sings, plays most of the instruments, and even engineers the disc. On his own, he proves to be a much more soft and melodic musician than he had seemed in the often punk and hard rock contexts of the groups he played with. The dominant instrument here is an acoustic guitar that chimes throughout, supported by swirling keyboards and modest but active percussion, all serving as a bed to Love's high-pitched, dreamy vocals. He sets the tone upfront with the love song "The Only Night," and though things get a little more energetic on some later tracks, the mood always remains light and positive. This album is going to be a surprise for anyone who has been a fan of Love's other bands, but that surprise may be a pleasant one from an artist who clearly has mellowed, or at least wants to present a very different side of himself performing under his own name for the first time.