He’s not quite an alien, although Gerard Way has been out of the limelight for some time.
The former My Chemical Romance front man is back with debut solo album ‘Hesitant Alien’, produced by Warner Bros. Records.
Fans of MCR won’t be disappointed by what’s on offer, as is so often the case with such solo comebacks. The songs bear many of the hallmarks of MCR’s drum-driven, high-volume, high-tempo hits. You could be forgiven for mistaking the backing band as the giant American teen rock band.
Having said all that, there is certainly a retro feel to much of the music. Way himself has stated that he has went back to his roots with this album- the thread of punk, Britpop and alternative rock runs heavily throughout.
The album is also a much more mature offering than the often high energy, low substance classic hits of MCR in their heyday. Way’s intention to reignite the demand for this kind of music in the USA is well signposted in recent interviews.
Many songs are refreshingly upbeat too; songs like ‘Juarez’ and advance single ‘Action Cat’ are vibrant, energetic offerings, a far cry from the increasingly dark, soulful music of MCR.
It is perhaps unfair to keep comparing Way’s first foray into solo music back to the success of MCR. ‘Hesitant Alien’ is a stand-out record in its own right. Superbly crafted, one cannot help that a greater publicity drive would have hooked more people on Way’s artistic abilities.
Fans new and old will be looking forward to the 2015 world tour. Unfortunately, Way won’t be gracing any Glasgow stages- the closest he will come to Scotland is the O2 Academy in Birmingham on 20th January.
Way can afford to be bullish about his prospects as a solo artist- he has enough of a fan base and plenty of music in the tank to ditch the hesitancy as he charts this new course.
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