Since alt-rock heroes Reuben split in 2008, guitar-toting frontman Jamie Lenman has been somewhat quiet on the musical front, but his debut solo release heralds a return that´s cacophonous and sedate in equal measure.
To call Muscle Memory diverse is an understatement: the opening half is all skull-crushing riffs and post- hardcore fury, while the second is composed of ukulele ballads and big-band numbers. It sounds like an incongruous endeavour, but tying it all together is Lenman´s superb sense of riffery and chord progression, which makes both sides equally essential.
4 out of 5
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![Justin Hawkins [left] of the Darkness plays an open G on his offset electric and closes his eyes as he performs onstage; soul-reggae icon Johnny Nash [right] frets a chord on his acoustic and wears a patched denim jacket.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hWzCjD9ZWQiPPjMtTWiFfa-840-80.jpg.webp)
