One Good Reason

One Good Reason verified that Paul Carrack was a much better musician surrounded by others than he was by himself. Carrack’s presence with Roxy Music, Squeeze, Nick Lowe, and Mike + the Mechanics was easily felt, and his beginnings with the ’70s band Ace gave him his first crack at singing lead, which spawned their biggest hit, “How Long,” in 1975. One Good Reason from 1987 reveals Carrack’s songwriting prowess more than it does his ability to perform. The album’s highlight, the number nine hit “Don’t Shed a Tear,” is bolstered by its subtle, laid-back groove with a start-and-stop tempo which comes across as unique to a certain extent, but from this point on, Carrack’s songs seem to fade into a light-pop mist. “One Good Reason” managed to crack the Top 30 as the album’s follow-up, but lacks the charisma of its predecessor. The songs are well-written lyrically, but they’re dispensed rather halfheartedly from a musical standpoint, with Tim Renwick’s guitar playing accentuating things from time to time. It’s apparent in tracks like “Fire With Fire” and “Give Me a Chance” that Paul Carrack has reached the point of pop pedestrianism — on this album, anyway. Carrack’s 1989 effort, entitled Groove Approved, refreshingly wakes things up a bit. – Mike DeGagne