NEW YORK (KOCH Records/ www.IanBrown.co.uk) - Ian Brown, one of the UK's few true music icons, will release his fourth solo album, "Solarized," in the U.S. on February 22nd, 2005, with an exclusive bonus track, "Lovebug."
Additionally, Brown will make his first U.S. appearance in four years at KROQ's Inland Invasion show in Los Angeles on September 18th. It marks the first time that Ian will perform songs in the U.S. from both his brilliant solo career and the halcyon days of the Stone Roses.
"Solarized," without doubt Brown's strongest solo effort to date, is receiving rave reviews from the British press, proving once again that Brown is a maverick artist. The London Times raves, "As always, the key feature is the voice, truculent and moody and as smooth as Black Velvet," while the NME has recently featured Brown on its much-coveted cover, proclaiming, "Ian refuses to live off past glories but still comes up smelling of roses, with the most relevant record of his solo career." The album is expected to reach the top 5 on the U.K. charts this week.
Exploring ideas and topics as only he can, Ian takes his music to a new level. Never has he produced a record of such musical variation. Brown's music has no regard for personal space, invading both mind and soul and penetrating deep into the feeling body.
The first single, "Keep What Ya Got," was co-written by Oasis' Noel Gallagher, who also plays guitar and sings on the track. The collaboration of these two Manchester legends is a truly brooding and empowering track. Gallagher also appears in the video for the single, which is receiving over 60 spins each on both VH1 and MTV Europe. In addition, Brown, joined by Gallagher, just wrapped up a performance of the single on the wildly popular U.K. talk show, "Jonathan Ross."
Also highlighting the set are the opening track "Longsight M13," a reference to the location of the legendary "Free Ian Brown" graffiti that still exists all over England; "Time Is My Everything," soaked in Mexican wine [as Ian uses brass for the first time (provided by Tim Hutton of Groove Armada fame) on a song]; the title track "Solarized," deep, throbbing and massive, with a hint of the East about it; and "One Way Ticket To Paradise," like the sound of a huge white stallion gate-crashing a wedding at an Arabian palace - filled with swirling strings and Moorish guitars, it takes Ian to new heights.
KOCH Records will release Ian Brown's "Solarized" on February 22nd, 2005.
