Ian Astbury — Spirit/Light/Speed

Let's face it. When your expectations are zero, it's not hard to beat them. Thankfully, if you consider Holy Barbarian or that last Cult album ground zero in the no-expectation category, then Ian Astbury's solo record Spirit/Light/Speed is a huge jump forward into competence. Don't be fooled, this is in no way comparable to early Cult masterworks, but songs like "Tonight (Illuminated)" and "Metaphyscial Pistol" show an ambition that seemed lacking in the last few Astbury projects. It's not a great artistic rediscovery, but at least it doesn't suck.

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