Lindsey Buckingham (studio album) by Lindsey Buckingham

From Brad1770 11/30/2021 23:52

When it comes to Fleetwood Mac I’ve always been a Lindsey Buckingham guy with his trade mark signature guitar picking sound, hell ‘Mirage’ is my second favourite FWM album which essentially is a Lindsey Buckingham solo album

The reviews for this 2021 self titled album were universally positive and having spent the past week getting to know it I actually agree. At 72 who knows if this will be Buckinghams swan song, I certainly hope not. However if it is what a great way for one of the modern musical giants to end a stellar career

From Mercury 10/12/2021 15:23

(Not much to say in this parenthetical opening statement. I will say this surprised me... I didn't think Buckingham would go and make such a great album at this stage in his career. But he did. This is a beautiful, well-written, engaging soft rock album with some really interesting and slightly off-kilter production elements and decisions and loads of great songs.)

This is one of those out-of-nowhere-albums for me. I am not a massive Buckingham solo fan or even Fleetwood Mac fan. But... something about that cover and the little I have heard of this self-titled Lindsey Buckingham album drew me in. Then when I pushed play and "Scream" started, I was under its spell. This album manages to be very familiar and warm and welcoming as a result AS WELL AS quite strange and dnaring at times a swell. There is a weird something slightly out of alignment on tracks on this album where it feels familiar but also like something fresh and fascinating and engaging. An example is that weird sounding riff and that glorious chorus on track 2 "I Don't Mind". Like, it may be my mind playing tricks on me, but something seems off here (in a good way) and the more I listen the less I can put m,y finger on what is off.

The album isn't perfect through and through. Perhaps a few tracks are pretty standard Fleetwood Mac-esque soft rock tracks that don't do a huge amount for me. But even these moments that feel a little bit stale have something at the very least enjoyable about them - like an old worn out garment that you put on and it just feels right. But elsewhere on the album and surprisingly consistently the tracks are fucking fabulous! I LOVe "Scream" and "I Don't Mind" and "On The Wrong Side" (This one feels like a beautiful and emotional song dealing with aging and damn that solo at the end kicks ass), "Blind Love" (dreamy and strangely recorded track, with these overly loud chirping percussion sounds that I strangely like cuz it makes this song feel more raw and less polished and thus more moving for me), "Time" (a solemn and endearing song full of oooohhs and aaahhhs back-up vocals and a certain Simon and Garfunkel vibe and for some reason I just really like this one), "Blue Light" (with its big chorus and those excellent jangly guitars), "Santa Rosa" (god I love that "if ya go! if ya go! to santa rosa!"..." chorus. Its so touching to me for some reason.), and finally the closer "Dancing" ( which is just soooo sleepy and sad and dreamy.... I love how austere and plain it is and I love the whispery vocals.)

If you are familiar with the album you will see that there are only 2 songs not mentioned in the love-list above. Those are "Swan Song" which is strange and awkward but it does have some coolness to it, I'm just not feeling the electro beats and I just feel like it feels a bit strained and incomplete. Some weird soloing on that track though thjat I like a lot. Amd the other track not listed above is "Power Down" which also has a somewhat electronic sound but in this case that is not my issue... in the case of "Power Down" I am just not feeling the energy. It feels like a bit of a standard soft rock song and Idk, it just bores me a bit.

I think that Buckingham sounds great! Vocally, I mean, he sounds young and strong and assured and I was surprised how excellently his singing and pop songwriting chops have aged. This whole album is just a beautifully delivered soft rock and pop gem with loads of sweet melodies and Fleetwood Mac-esque hooks and details that I just really REALLY enjoy. I didn't expect to love this one so much.