Released: January 31
Back in 1988, Kim Wilde scored the most successful album of her career with ‘Close’; a defining record of the era that delivered a stellar run of hit singles – Hey Mister Heartache, You Came, Never Trust A Stranger and Four Letter Word – and reaffirmed the singer-songwriter as one of British pop’s greats.
Three-and-a-half decades later, it forms the blueprint for Wilde’s 15th studio album, the aptly-titled ‘Closer’, and a body of work that touches on that LP’s classic sound – a distinct ‘80s influence that continues to characterise pop today – while remaining effortlessly fresh.
Swirling synths and pulsing drums on the atmospheric opener, Midnight Train, launch the album on a high that’s instantly captivating and a nod to ‘Close’ opening anthem, Hey Mister Heartache, while lead single Trail Of Destruction picks up where another original album cut, Stone, left off, with a poignant protest on humans’ impact on the world.
Featuring guest vocals from Ultravox frontman Midge Ure, Sorrow Replaced is a more mellow change in pace that captures the spirit of the ‘80s with two of the decade’s most distinctive British voices trading verses, and a reminder of their enduring talents.
Across the LP, there are nods to Wilde’s earlier material, with the opening bars of Scorpio reminiscent of her 1981 breakthrough anthem, Kids In America, and rousing ballad Lighthouse borrowing lines from ‘Here Come The Aliens’ album track, Solstice, bridging her earliest and most recent studio recordings.
Among its latter half, the double punch of Love Is Love and Rocket To The Moon maintains the consistency of the album’s A-side, while closing number Savasana – referencing the restorative yoga pose used to relax the body and mind – is a rallying call to let go of the past and strive towards a brighter future.
The latest in the artist’s career-long collaboration with her brother, co-writer and producer Ricky Wilde, with his daughter, Kim’s niece Scarlett Wilde, also contributing as a writer and duet partner on Hourglass Human, ‘Closer’ is as strong as any other body of work from her career and a testament to the long-running legacy of one of British pop’s first families of music.
