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An anesthesia called modernity
A voice for contemporary discontentment in well-polished ‘Other People’s Lives’
By John Figlesthaler
A new man in a new realm, the blatant social commentary and bland emotive qualities that the 13 tracks rely on, striving for reinvention, are unable to make waves in a thrashing sea.
Legendary pop icon Ray Davies pulls together nearly six years of painstaking work onto his first post-Kinks solo album “Other People’s Lives.”
Steeped heavily with maturity and somewhat stifling monotony, Davies’ latest work falls decades from the prolific pop anthems that the Kinks continually cranked out in their heyday, yet captures a relevant modern voice of discontent.
The album tears the faithful listener between a relishing comparison with Davies’ work of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s and the oversaturated era of popular music of today.
A new man in a new realm, the blatant social commentary and bland emotive qualities that the 13 tracks rely on, striving for reinvention, are unable to make waves in a thrashing sea.
It is impossible, however, to overlook the meticulous production that gives “Other People’s Lives” an extremely polished sound that is built with Davies’ careful layering of instrumentation and vocals.
Davies’ satirical portrayal of society coursing through the veins of “Other People,” puts an array of familiar stories into his voice. The most poignant and encompassing tracks, “Run Away From Time” and title track “Other People’s Lives,” are fleeting attempts to shake the numbing conformity of the 21st century.
Even warm floating harmonies and lyrics that eventually strike meaningful cords of loving angst and witty social skepticism won’t carry this album to a level of timelessness.
For a flashback taste of complete disregard of time all together, “The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society” is a self-absorbed fantasy of solid gold pop rock. A make believe village green where nothing matters but friends, good times and harmonious bliss.
“Village Green” shows Davies at a time when there was no need for a concept of where he fit into the big picture.
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