Album Review: Nik Kershaw - Ei8ht

Nik Kershaw's Human Racing and The Riddle albums, both released in 1984, spawned several hits (notably Wouldn't It Be Good and I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me) but he remained held back by the synth-pop tag which seemed to choke his career as quickly as it made it. Nonetheless, Kershaw carried on with a laissez-faire attitude to recording that has resulted in a series of decent, yet sporadically released and increasingly guitar-driven works. Guess which album number Ei8ht is, then!

Twenty-eight years after his commercial heyday, be prepared to be delighted by an acerbic wit set to refined tunage. He bares no grudge with the fickle nature of pop – that ship has long sailed – but, just as the Pet Shop Boys demonstrated on their recent release, one can be wryly cynical without being bitter, yet grateful that anyone still gives a shit (“He's run his course, he's run his race/If I ever get like that, shoot me!”). Whether Kershaw's lamenting the end of a long-term relationship in These Tears or having a carpe diem moment in The Sky's The Limit, Ei8ht wastes no time in knuckling into catchy mature pop territory.

While other early '80s luminaries milk aging cash cows on the live circuit, Kershaw is defiantly looking forward with an album that warms the cockles. Ei8ht is a fine record soaring far from the shackles of former glories.