Album Review: The Performer by James Righton

The debut solo effort from the Klaxons co-founder, The Performer sees James Righton distilling the neon dance-rock of his flagship band into a mostly tasty hybrid of velvety Todd Rundgren-meets Bryan Ferry retro-pop and California-kissed '70s soft rock with neo-psych underpinnings. More in line with Righton's 2017's outing under the Shock Machine moniker, The Performer, despite its affectations, feels like a more authentic rendering of Righton as a songwriter. Commencing with the strident title cut, a propulsive pastiche of Foreigner's "Cold as Ice" and Strange Days-era Doors, the nine-song set is an assured, if sometimes meandering rumination on the dichotomy between pop stardom and fatherhood.

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James Righton has played many roles: Klaxons keyboardist, Shock Machine auteur, film score composer, husband and father of two. Now he plays himself with 'The Performer', a touching piece with a sensitive air of slight existential speculation, as Righton examines his current role. 'The Performer' effortlessly schmoozes around a retro smoke-filled lounge with an array of sumptuous grooves like 'Edie', candy-coated melodies such as 'Start' and woozy numbers like 'Heavy Heart'.

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