Simply Red - Big Love

'Big Love' is Simply Red's first studio album in eight years to feature only new material and is the band's long awaited eleventh studio album and the first to contain original studio material since the amazing 'Life' an album to this day I can't stop playing. I also think this is why this album has a big feel of 'Life', but a 'Life' moved on with elements of 'Stars' put in for a bonus.

Opening with the Funky Jazzy 'Shine On', you can hear from the first moment that Mick Hucknell opens is mouth. That Simply Red is back, It really emulates their best material off albums 'Stars' and 'Life'. Strangely it also sounds like they have been listening to modern Pop's take on 70's - 90's mainstream music. It has elements of what Will Young and even Take That have been trying to put out in recent years.

I totally love the Saxophone solo, which really makes the track and makes me want to listen on. This shows how great the contribution Kevin Robinson does to the band. I love the fact he can emulate what Simply Red has done before. The 70's Soul groove of track two 'Daydreaming' is mesmerizing​ and when it is blended in with Mick's vocals in a low but many leveled melody. Your really brought into the catchy track which again is taken into another dimension by the Saxophone.

It really feels like it was recorded in the 90's when Mick was back at his best, the vocals are totally spotless and the lyrics are really well put together. I have to say I am so impressed by this. Title track 'Big Love' almost makes you feel your being brought into a climax of a romantic film like 'Four weddings and a Funeral' or 'Love Actually', it has elements of songs again from their brilliant album 'Life' like 'Lives and Love, Never... Never Love' or even 'So Beautiful'. It's a really beautiful love song with nice melody's, I could think of so many people I would like to hear do a version of this song... too many to mention but Will Young would really do this one justice.

I really like the lifts in Mick's voice in 'The Ghost of Love', showing how big his range is. This song also has elements of work of artists like Burt Bacharach if he wrote for Simply Red, which is really nice... or maybe even Lionel Richie who is really popular again. This song would work really well in a venue like the Royal Albert Hall it has that grand feel to it. 'Dad' is a nice filler, it's quite and it has a nice gentle feel to it but no one of my favourite songs on the album. The good thing about 'Big Love' is that their is no lull on it, and if they take you down they bring you right back up with a storming track like 'Love Wonders' which has a really great atmosphere and feel to it.

This song really makes shivers go down my spine and I just can't stop playing it. The Jazz and mystic elements of 'Love gave me More', is brilliant. This track again sounds like a classic Simply Red song and takes me straight back to the 90's with the Soulful tones of Mick making me drift away into a place where I feel happy and comfortable. 'Tight Tones' is so Funky and groovy, that is just makes you want to dance... Brining it on George Clinton meets Prince if they wanted to be in Simply Red. 

This song really shows the bands versatility​ and what they have been listening to recently, and I think that's a whole lot of Soul and Funk. The lyrics also make me smile, their a little silly but really go with the song... so I wouldn't have changed them if I had... had the chance. I love 'Woru' reminds me of some of the work of Will Young, it has such Soul and feeling to it and the way it goes up and down is anthem-tastic. You wonder if this album had been released after 'Life' if it would have taken the band even bigger than they are now.

The album is taken down a little with 'Coming Home', which brings things down to another tempo. This is continued with the quiet chilled 'The Old man and the Beer', which is a real Las Vegas club number. These two songs are back up by the even better 'Each Day', which could be one of Simply Red's best love songs yet. This album is a must, it's Simply Red back at their best and I simply love it. I have a big love already for 'Big Love' and soon will you.