Simple Minds
Graffiti Soul
Decca

Following the success of their 1985 classic hit, “Don’t You Forget about Me,” Scotland natives the Simple Minds have been roughing the music terrain ever since. The pop-rock quartet has sustained a 30-year music run with a slew of chart-topping hits in the U.S. and in the U.K. Even though Simple Minds have not garnered as much success since the release of their 1985 hit single, their latest music venture, Graffiti Soul, may give listeners the ear candy they’ve been waiting for.

Seducing the ear, leading singer Jim Kerr embodies Bono infused, sultry vocals against a backdrop of haunting yet subtle instrumentals and lyrics. “Descended from a world of darken places/descended from a world that’s less controlled.” “Moscow Underground” opens the album with this eerie yet beautiful ballad. However, the use of fist-pumping drum beats and the hypnotic electric guitar riffs used in tracks such as “This is It” and “Blood Type O” helps add vigor and grit to the album.

Power tracks like “Rockets” and “Light Travels” incarnate the mystery and echoed vocals similar to that of David Bowie set against a back-drop of pounding and electric melodies comparable to the sound landscapes of Brian Eno. Graffiti Soul manages to mold lingering, heart-drenched lyrics with intoxicating and hypnotic sounds while adding the meticulous use of upbeat, heavy guitar-picking and drum beats, creating a pure, aesthetic sound of rock. Simple Minds have managed to capture just that, the pure, aesthetic of rock.

by Bianetth Valdez