Stone Roses fans will appreciate frontman Ian Brown’s fourth solo release. True to the Roses’ signature sound, “Solarized” is a sonically trippy soup. An ample serving of reversed percussion instruments juxtaposed with electric and acoustic guitars and drums frame Brown’s ethereal voice. He also continues to explore and incorporate sounds and styles decidedly not from the pop music world, including the vaguely Eastern-sounding title track and “One Way Ticket to Paradise,” which recalls Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir.” Brown also includes, for the first time, brass instruments: “Time Is My Everything” and “The Sweet Fantastic” fuse a Mexican and traditional Western European feel, respectively, with the trance/chill delivery to which fans are accustomed. Other highlights include “Keep What Ya Got,” featuring co-writer Noel Gallagher. Though one can’t help but miss the complementing presence of Stone Roses guitarist/songwriter John Squire, “Solarized” is a strong and enjoyable offering from this Manchester icon. Plus: The U.S. version features an exclusive bonus track, “Lovebug.”—CW
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