New Blood
3/5
Those of you whose gag reflex kicks in at the mere thought of anything Genesis related are now urged to reconsider Peter Gabriel on three counts. He may have been at odds with punk, but his 1977 solo debut Solsbury Hill included a collaboration with guitar maverick Robert Fripp; admirers Elbow worked with him on 2010’s Scratch My Back; and – perhaps most importantly –Gabriel is not Phil Collins.
New Blood both is and isn’t that; it pumps fresh life into 14 familiar (to fans) songs via arrangements that do away with guitar, bass and drums and were recorded with a 46-piece orchestra, including jazz pianist Tom Cawley. Pop hits ‘Sledgehammer’ and ‘Games Without Frontiers’ aren’t featured, but a perky rendition of ‘Solsbury Hill’ is, along with a sweetly haunting ‘Mercy Street’ and choral ‘Intruder’, which takes its dramatic cues from composer Shostakovich. Ears attuned to DM Stith, Elbow and Yeasayer should find much to admire here.
