Released: 5 February 2021
Rating: ***
It’s been less than 12 months since Deacon Blue released their ninth LP, ‘City of Love’, in March, 2020. But fast-forward and they’re back with more new music that picks up right where the group left off.
From the outset, ‘Riding on the Tide of Love’ makes no attempt to disguise its affiliation to its predecessor – with vocalist Ricky Ross describing the LP as “a continuation of ‘City of Love’, a companion piece that we recorded piece by piece”.
That’s particularly notable on three tracks – Look Up, Send A Note Out and She Loved The Snow – all of which were initially recorded during the ‘City of Love’ sessions. However, they’re in no way outliers here and sit comfortably among the newer tunes.
‘Riding on the Tide of Love’ boasts Deacon Blue’s usual blend of pop/rock romanticism, upheld by the always-sublime vocal partnership of Ross and wife Lorraine McIntosh.
It’s a combination that stands its own throughout album opener, lead single and title track Riding on the Tide of Love, holding focus in spite of the brash, joyous instrumental that sets the sound for the eight-track collection.
Recorded during lockdown, the album was completed by each of the band’s six members individually – yet the musicianship somehow feels tighter than ever, a notion also felt by the band.
“[We went] into the studio one by one to record our individual parts,” recalls Ross. “In its own way it’s brought us all together, we hope it will bring you together too.”
For fans of the group, ‘Riding on the Tide of Love’ will no doubt be a thrill, but even for new listeners, there’s comfort to be found in the classic sounds of the LP.
Send a Note Out channels Memphis soul of the late ‘60s, with a warmth that translates as 100% authentic, while the intimacy of stripped-back tunes like Look Up and It’s Still Early is welcome in an age of social distancing and self-isolation.
Not Gonna Be That Girl, meanwhile, is an ode to love that re-writes the fairytale narrative and explores the realities of romance in the modern-day.
Perhaps most poignant of all is Time – with McIntosh’s haunting vocals and Ross’ musings on change hitting hard while offering a glimmer of hope. “I hear your voice inside / Telling me there’s still time,” somehow seem to be the words we needed to hear most right now.
‘City of Love’ saw Deacon Blue score their highest-charting LP (UK No. 4, Scotland No. 1) in 27 years, and it’s not hard to understand the enduring appeal of the band.
Not only does ‘Riding on the Tide of Love’ showcase the stellar musicianship of the Glasgow sextet, but it’s something of a care package from Deacon Blue to help us all through these tough times.
