Album Review: Greg Dulli – Random Desire

Greg Dulli’s career has seen a long, dark night of the soul stretch across more than three decades. Ever since his ‘90s glory days fronting Cincinnati alt.rockers The Afghan Whigs, he’s given voice to the seamier sides of human relationships, exploring the dark corners where desire and tragedy intertwine.

This new solo album is at its strongest when Greg finds new ways to express himself. Where there are traces of the Whigs’ soul power, as on Sempre and The Tide, it’s hard not to compare the songs unfavourably to his day job. But when comfort zones are departed, Random Desire takes flight, as on the Prince-influenced Scorpio, and the beautiful arrangements of Lockless and Black Moon.

The highlight, though, is the haunting A Ghost, with Greg deploying bells, castanets and strings to create something that could be termed ‘desert-goth’. Turns out there’s still no sign of the man’s mood lifting any time soon.

Verdict: 3/5