Ahh, grim reality, you are a cruel mistress. By all accounts, Love Amongst Ruin, the first album by former Placebo drummer Steve Hewitt since his split with the band was shaping up to rock worlds, with huge choruses, big riffs and sharp production but in the end, all it does is confirm Hewitt’s place as a competent writer of rock songs laced with a light hint of electronica.
This self-titled debut album sees the sticksman moving to the front of the stage taking on vocal duties, and like everything else on the album his voice is competent and pleasant without being unremarkable. There’s enough identity on offer here to make a clear distinction between Love Amongst Ruin and Hewitt’s old band, but there’s not quite enough to push that opinion into good realms. For the most part, Hewitt feels like he’s sleepwalking through proceedings, never really fully pushing his band to make anything more than a pleasant, middle-of-the-road racket. For instance, Running starts with a fast, metallic riff only to get lost in noises and effects, undoing itself magnificently. Everything from the vocals, the lyrics to the melodies feel too safe to truly excite.
Hewitt’s certainly proven himself to be a decent songwriter over the last decade, but on Love Amongst Ruin, you’ll find the sound of him very much on autopilot. It all might be well-executed, and it’s certainly slightly catchy but there’s nothing here to truly excite, which is pretty much all you need to know.
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