Dark, quirky and kinky

The world may have lost track of Ray Davies, but fortunately, Davies hasn't lost track of the world. \nOther People's Lives, Davies' first solo album, is a testament to an aging genius. Once a great songwriter, it seems, always a great songwriter. The former frontman of the weirdest and quirkiest of the British Invasion bands, The Kinks, Davies took his time making a solo album. It's worth the wait. \nEven while writing for The Kinks, Davies was always the most British of Brits, and on Other People's Lives, he stays with what works. The first track on the disc has him sounding as British as the Queen. The third track, "Next-Door Neighbour," is "Waterloo Sunset" nearly 40 years later -- there's the same wistful air, but this time there's an impetus to change things. (Here, impetus sounds like a big bunch of brassy, tooty horns.) But even though several tracks sound like they could be quintessential Kinks pieces, none of them feel rehashed. \nDavies, too, is one of a handful of artists who would be able to pull off a song called "Is There Life After Breakfast?" The tongue-in-cheek optimism of the song is a nice counterbalance to the album's darker points -- and there are plenty of these. "After the Fall" is one of those dimmer moments, and is truly great, because like all good rock songs, when Davies sings "I just had a big fall, and this time it was harder to get up than before," he could be singing about worldwide cataclysm or a minor, day to day upset. Great songs work on both levels. \n"Run Away From Time" is another high point -- it's a light, poppy escapist fantasy, and once summer comes, I'll be listening to it with my car windows down. With "The Tourist" and "Stand Up Comic," Davies proves again that sometimes, weird lyrics just work, especially when they're in songs as smart as these. \nAnd the liner notes ... man. Davies takes the opportunity to casually chat about the recording process (he recorded in New York and New Orleans), his lyrics (sometimes he's writing as himself, sometimes it's a persona) and his excitement to rediscover his love of American roots music. The lyrics are typed out with what appear to be Davies' personal notes scribbled over them. \nCool liner notes and pastiche art aside, this is a deeply personal - and enthusiastically welcome - return to the spotlight for one of the godfathers of great rock and roll music.