Ian Simmonds - All That's Left (2019)

‘All That's Left’ is the 15th studio album from Ian Simmonds following 2015's ‘The Right Side Of Kind’. Starting his musical career in the 80's with the Sandals, Simmonds then moved on to producing as Juryman, Wiseintime and under his own name: Ian Simmonds. Throughout his enormous body of work, Simmonds has always channeled pain into his music, but in his latest incarnation, there is anger, patience, and a driving energy that ebbs and flows throughout the album. His sound is purposeful, and at times the messages challenging, the beats quick and his vocals haunting.

Released on a 17-track 180-gram double vinyl, CD and as an extended digital release which features two bonus tracks! The album features two tracks from his single ‘The Lion Share’ and ‘Rudy’s Choice’ as well as 17 new tracks. Not fitting into one genre, Simmonds’ signature moody but poignant style is spread liberally over Jazz, Electronica, Trip Hop, the abstract and a bit of Afro Funk and Dub creating an incredibly well rounded, eclectic sound. There is the downtempo, reflective ‘Avoiding Obsolete’, where a distant tinkering piano motif frames Simmonds’ beautiful warm melodic vocals, the production is sparse, but you are drawn in greedily. Then there is ‘Mackblajick’ which has a nu-jazz feel with its mysterious dulcimer and insistent guitar motif that wouldn’t be out of place in a Baz Luhrmann 1920’s Jazz club. If it’s an instrumental track you’re looking for then you’ll find it in ‘Kendal Slice’ which has a wild but retrospective feel, with abstract jazz drumming and a running pace. Special mention goes out to one of the bonus tracks, an eerie, middle eastern style cover of Burt Bacharach’s ‘The Look of Love’.

Tracklist:
01. Ian Simmonds - The Lion Share
02. Ian Simmonds - Rudy's Choice
03. Ian Simmonds - True Love
04. Ian Simmonds - Hey Mista
05. Ian Simmonds - Uncle Sass
06. Ian Simmonds - Avoiding Obsolete
07. Ian Simmonds - Leonardo
08. Ian Simmonds - Mackblajick
09. Ian Simmonds - Standard 8
10. Ian Simmonds - Buried Heads
11. Ian Simmonds - Pickin Leaves
12. Ian Simmonds - Born In The North Poem
13. Ian Simmonds - Consumed Blue
14. Ian Simmonds - The Kendal Slice
15. Ian Simmonds - Time Too
16. Ian Simmonds - A Prance In Hope
17. Ian Simmonds - Feeling Form
18. Ian Simmonds - Into Stone
19. Ian Simmonds - The Look Of Love