The name Edwyn Collins is probably better known by many people for being the soundtrack for max factor adverts in the late 90s, when they used his hit single Never Seen A Girl Like You Before and of course for being the front man for 1980s Scotish indie stalwarts Orange Juice.
In Recent years has seen Edwyns carreer be revived by the likes of Franz Ferdinand, The Drums and The Magic Numbers who all contributed to Edwyn’s last album Loosing Sleep. The first album of material he had written since suffering a major stroke and double brain hemorrhage which left him in a coma for 3 months and having to re learn everything.
Dilemna seems to have a lot of the similar symbolic resemblance to that of the David Bowie Single Where Are We Now, In the fact that it shows him looking back on his past and talking about the day-to-day struggle he has to deal with. It seems to me like the antithesis of Loosing Sleep which was remarkable for how up beat it was.
It Felt like Loosing Sleep was celebration of going wow I’m still alive, where as Dilemna feels like as if he is openly talking about the difficulties in his life. Trying to understand emotions that he used to have or that he still has but doesn’t quite understand them. it feels very much darker, stooped in the pain of having to live with unspoken difficulties and with holds Collins very distinctive writing style that has won him a very loyal fan base, a style that the likes of Morrisey in openly penning his stories.
I think that with Dilemna feels like as if he is taslking about his entire life and calling it a Dilemna. It has certain trade marks like the uptempo drums and echoey reverbed guitars keys and horns. Its remarkable the fact that he is still here is something that many count their blessings sharing such beauties as Dilemna. He may never win the same plaudits as Bowie or been as successful as him but there will always be a fond place for people like Edwyn.
His New album Underrated is out now, the stuff I have heard so far is possibly some of his strongest songwriting, beautiful stuff.
thethouroughlyannoyingblonde 