"Ian McNabb, one time front man of the Icicle Works, has just celebrated the second top 40 hit of a career of over 20 years, with 'Let The Young Girl Do What She Wants'. While the single’s success is down more to fan power than a sudden connection with the record buying public, it does provide Ian with a rare opportunity – airplay, and possibly a bit of press that has been sadly lacking of late. And so we have the new album 'Before All Of This', hoping to capitalise on this new found success. But can it hope to complete in an arena where Crazy Frog can get to number one?

I’ve been a fan of Ian McNabb’s work since the eighties, and while I admit to being somewhat biased, this is some of his best work. Much of his output has taken a while to love, and the intricate solos and self-indulgent lyrics of much of the previous work were never likely to expand his fan-base. This, however, is clearly a compromise, an effort to widen the audience beyond the die-hard fans who are looking for Neil Young with a Scouse accent. The songs are immediate, and they’re very radio-friendly. There are a good 5 or 6 songs on here which, if I’d heard them on the radio, I’d have listened intently for the artist details in an effort to find out more, and that’s always a good sign. Whether the radio stations in the UK give the audience the chance to hear these tracks is yet to be seen – if not, it’s their loss, as this is a fantastic album.

Reviewed By Sandy Matthews
Remember the Eighties

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