Bernard Butler – People Move On

 

Bernard Butler – People Move On

By

Jesse E. Mullen

 

You were the last to join a seminal band of your generation. You inspired legions of guitarists and are often ranked second best of your era in Britain – second to Johnny Marr. But then you leave that band after falling out with the lead singer. Where do you go from here?

So is the story of Bernard Butler. The Suede guitarist may have joined last but was second in command to frontman Brett Anderson. However, tension arose in mid-1994 during the recording of their second album – Butler wanted to produce the sessions himself – which resulted in the guitarists exile.

Butler rebounded quickly, forming the excellent McAlmont & Butler, and penning the Anderson-inspired single “Yes.” However, tensions arose with singer David McAlmont, and the band fell apart by the end of 1995.

It seemed like luck had run out on Butler once and for all. Surely, you can walk away from one band and have a career. But two within one year of each other? Fans had to be wondering – could Butler recover?

In 1998, Butler reappeared on the scene. Having signed a deal with Alan McGee’s Creation Records, things appeared to be looking up for the guitarist again. Only this time, he would be going it alone.

People Move On – Butler’s solo debut – featured him playing most of the instruments – barring drums, played by the great Makoto Sakamoto. But how would it sound? Could he recapture the glory days of a few years prior?

“Woman I Know” starts the album in melodious fashion. A gentle lead guitar and Sakamoto’s slow drums introduce the track. Butler’s voice enters and the track is a tale of romance. No one else compares to the woman he’s with. Butler’s wife – whom he’s been married to since 1994 – seems to be the inspiration here.

As the track progresses, a gospel choir brings the chorus to another level. The track is reminiscent of the territory Spiritualized would stake out on Songs In A&E – particularly “Soul On Fire.” Romantic, but just vague enough that we don’t know if the inspiration is also chemically induced.

“You Just Know” has a rhythm and lead guitar style evocative of Neil Young & Crazy Horse. Creation boss Alan McGee actually called Butler “the Neil Young of the ‘90s” in a press release for the album. But it’s the title track where things really pick up.

“People Move On” is new territory for Butler. The track builds from a gentle acoustic strum and vibraphone accompaniment into a beautiful tale of romance. Butler uses the story of Rapunzel as a metaphor for the love in his life.

What sets it apart from previous songs he’d written or co-written is that Butler knows to use restraint. Rather than building it up to epic proportions like Suede’s (still excellent) “Stay Together,” Butler keeps it as an acoustic track with minimal bluesy lead guitars.

Elsewhere, we have the (unrelated) “Stay.” The track is an extended ballad which builds into a psychedelic swirl of lead guitars. It sounds a lot like Oasis’ “Champagne Supernova” if it were done by Spiritualized – it features the gospel choir again.

But “Not Alone” is perhaps the strongest anthem on the album. Ironically sounding a lot like the post-Butler Suede track “Trash,” “Not Alone” is a summer anthem for the ages. The track starts out with subtle gospel vocals, before exploding into a wall of strings and bright, distorted electric guitars.

Lyrically, the track deals with striking out on one’s own, throwing caution to the wind, and feeling good about it. There’s little doubt that Butler related to this sentiment, and his passion is felt through every decibel.

Sometimes an artist will have great success outside of their main band. Other times they will struggle to break out of the enormous shadow cast by their main project. Bernard Butler may always be known as the Suede guitarist – and one half of McAlmont & Butler – but People Move On shows him moving in an exciting new direction with a spacey ambiance.

Creation/1998