Jamie Lenman - Muscle Memory review
Ex-Reuban rocker's diverse debut
Since alt-rock heroes Reuben split in 2008, guitar-toting frontman Jamie Lenman has been somewhat quiet on the musical front, but his debut solo release heralds a return that´s cacophonous and sedate in equal measure.
To call Muscle Memory diverse is an understatement: the opening half is all skull-crushing riffs and post- hardcore fury, while the second is composed of ukulele ballads and big-band numbers. It sounds like an incongruous endeavour, but tying it all together is Lenman´s superb sense of riffery and chord progression, which makes both sides equally essential.
4 out of 5
Get the MusicRadar Newsletter
Want all the hottest music and gear news, reviews, deals, features and more, direct to your inbox? Sign up here.
Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.
"Even if the album only had that one track on, it would still be on this list": Humanist's Rob Marshall on the 9 records that changed his life, supporting Depeche Mode in stadiums, and why he'll never switch to digital amp modelling
"I went into my personal archive to see if there were any unreleased gems and I hit the jackpot": U2 announces a new 'shadow album'