SMALLCREEP'S DAY

Based on the novel of the same name, Rutherford's solo debut is a lively concept album that mixes elements of straight-ahead pop with tinges of prog and features a sharp, synthesizer- heavy sound and impassioned vocals from Noel McCalla. It's much more 'Duke' than 'Nursery Cryme', and the music shares a lot of similarities with 'Mike & The Mechanics', the commercially-successful band Rutherford would create several years down to give him an outlet for his burgeoning solo work. It's all very light, with ballads and workmanlike pop the order of the day, but a couple tracks do deserve faint praise, such as the atmospheric opener 'Between The Tick & The Tock', which showcases Rutherford's impressive keyboards skills, and the fist-pumping rocker 'Moonshine', which is genuinely anthemic, featuring a pulsating beat, hard-edged guitars and impressive vocal harmonies a la Foreigner circa their '4' years. As a piece of prog, however, 'Smallcreep's Day' is fundamentally limited by Rutherford's simplistic approach, and fans of Genesis will probably find very little of interest. The album's lead single, the jangly, guitar-led 'Waiting In Line', is a perfect example of Rutherford's style, giving the album a brash and breezy feel similar to the disposable chart-pop that would soon dominate the eighties. Limited stuff then, 'Smallcreep's Day' should appeal to Mike & The Mechanics fans, and will appeal to die-hard fans of the Genesis guitarist. STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2010