dreadpirateroberts Jack Bruce's first solo release after working in the 'West, Bruce and Laing' supergroup for a few years, is typical of his eclectic style.

It's actually a difficult one to rate, as there's nothing truly disappointing about it, but nor does it leap out from his discography as an obvious highlight.

I do enjoy this album and think that 'good, but non-essential' is quite an apt description. Because it is good. A few songs are on a par with anything he's done ('Pieces of Mind', 'Keep On Wondering' and 'Keep it Down') but the rest of the album is not as strong.

The musical variety you've come to expect from him (both from a compositional standpoint and as a multi-instrumentalist) is still present on 'Out of the Storm.' While Bruce's singing and bass playing too, are up to his usual standard, not all songs are as effective. 'Golden Days' is a little lumbering and 'Running through Our Hands' doesn't really live up to his other ballad-like songs. A piece like 'One' is bit of a sleeper, but the best tracks are those already mentioned, like 'Keep it Down.'

And 'Keep it Down' is an obvious choice for a single, tight, funky and with a killer chorus, complete with some nice lead guitar from Steve Hunter (of Alice Cooper fame) and Jack's trademark bass style. What's not to like? 'Timeslip' has one of the most atmospheric openings of any tracks on the album, and closes with a great rock outro that brings Cream to mind.

It's worth mentioning that Bruce's ability to constantly push and test the limits of the pop and rock format has not been discarded here. It remains in force. But the problem is not with his general ethos, but rather the execution, as this album isn't as consistent as his previous works. Three stars nonetheless.