:: Lindsey Buckingham - Gift Of Screws

Lindsey Buckingham

Sometimes when a great band splits up and various members try solo albums, they never really capture the greatness they had with their original band. Well for Fleetwood Mac’s singer/guitarist, Lindsey Buckingham, that has certainly been the case. His previous four albums have been average at best and have barely made an impact on the charts, but after just one listen to ‘Gift Of Screws’ and you will never describe him as an average artist again. This album goes far and above anything that Fleetwood Mac ever delivered. The opening track, ‘Great Day’ is exactly what rock music should sound like; it’s dirty and sweaty and the kind of track you could listen to over and over on a hot summer’s day. Buckingham’s guitar work simply has to be heard to be believed on this track, it shows screams ‘music genius at work’. His brilliant guitar work continues on ‘Time Precious Time’ where he creates a ‘fluttering dreamy’ sound that I’ve never heard captured before, and then delves into the magnificent ‘Did You Miss Me’; this is what rock-pop is supposed to sound like. Any thoughts that Buckingham is a withered old rock star go completely out the window with ‘Wait For You’; this dark track has a terrific edge to it and is nothing short of brilliant. The edginess continues with ‘Love Runs Deeper’ which also consists of a terrific harmony. The album momentarily loses its way with ‘Gift Of Screws’ with reeks of a cheesiness that would even make The B-52s blush, but that can be forgotten when you hear the haunting ‘Bel Air Rain’ and the screaming guitars of ‘The Right Place To Fade’. ‘Gift Of Screws’ then finishes off with ‘Underground’ and ‘Treason’; two sweet tracks that leave you completely entranced. Forget the new breed, Lindsay Buckingham has produced one of the great albums of 2008, this is the summer soundtrack that you have been looking for.