simply red big loveBrit pop band Simply Red has been at the music game for thirty years and has managed through those three decades to remain relevant. That is saying something in the ever-changing music world. In collaboration with a world tour to celebrate their thirtieth anniversary they have released and album of new music called Big Love. After running through the album a couple of times it strikes me that it can easily be divided into two with different sounds for each. The first part is a slow dancer’s paradise. Plenty of love and romance to be found here. Lots of the album also has a modern jazz sound to it mixed in with the usual pop. That makes most of it sound quite plush and the arrangements are in most instances beautiful. Examples of this are the title track, “Big Love”, and “Ghost of Love”. Phase two is made up of songs that beg to be played in front of a crowd. The first single off the album is “Shine On” and falls into this category. All in all, it might sound very familiar or like material they have produced in the past but if you take the time and listen to it a couple of times through then you will see how the music they produce has advanced, mutated and matured over the last thirty years.