Simple Minds - Graffiti Soul

The Glaswegian New Pop dinosaurs are back with their fifteenth(!) album Graffiti Soul. Leaving aside the obvious question of how relevant it's possible for the Minds to be in 2009, at face value, it's clear that the record is well-crafted and concise. But while we can grudgingly allow the '80s behemoths guilty pleasure status for dated yet catchy hits such as ubiquitous local-radio staple Don't You (Forget About Me), the comparatively modern production of Graffiti Soul can't save a turgid and uninspired bunch of tunes. The occasional synth crunch and female backing vocal livens up the first few tracks, but by the end of this short LP, Jim Kerr's growl has become an active irritant. A blurb on the record's artwork attempts to align it with graffiti's tendency to divide opinion; the sad truth is that this Graffiti is about as controversial, or indeed as Soulful, as a bucket of emulsion, and can't possibly benefit from the rose-tinted wash of nostalgia we apply to its '80s predecessors.