CD: ISOM 7CD
RELEASE DATE: 1998
LABEL: Independiente

01. Back To The One
02. The North Star
03. Here Comes The Ocean
04. River Of Brightness
05. Strings
06. Bigger Brighter Better
07. Autumn Flower
08. Reason For Living
09. Sister Shadow
10. Hymn To Grace

Aztec Camera were one of those '80s bands who captured a substantial fan-base at the time but did not find this support reflected in a commensurate amount of chart success. The stunningly good "Somewhere In My Heart" still receives its fair share of radio air-play, and well earned at that. Some say Aztec Camera were always a 'one-man-band', that man being Roddy Frame. This solo album "The North Star" lends some credence to this view. He wrote all the songs, sings and plays on them (of course) and co-produced all the tracks along with Simon Dawson. The album itself has many attractions. Nice songs in the Pop genre - some ballads, some with a more driving tempo. All 10 of the songs on the album are good, and you can tell Roddy put a great deal of effort into his (as usual) well-formed lyrics. For every song of happiness, there's a complementary track of subtle soul searching. The singer/songwriter has never sounded this confident over the full length of an album in the past. If The North Star isn't this artist at his best, then he must have purely transcendental songs up his sleeve for future releases. With this confident solo debut, as strong or stronger than any Aztec Camera release, Roddy Frame confirms his status as a first-rate emotional balladeer.