JIMMY SOMERVILLE
SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER
CHERRY RED
★★★★
Something of a lost gem in Jimmy Somerville’s career, his covers album Suddenly Last Summer gets a welcome reissue, arriving on vinyl for the first time.
When it was released in 2009, it was clear Somerville hoped to see the acoustic collection as a palette cleanser. His first album since Home Again five years earlier, it was made in just six days, recorded too quickly to give the singer chance to second-guess himself. “It was a whirlwind experience,” according to Somerville. “It’s definitely up there with my first trip to New York to record Age Of Consent.” If Suddenly Last Summer isn’t as groundbreaking as Bronski Beat’s debut album, it’s still a gorgeous set, perhaps the clearest showcase for that beautiful voice.