John Power
Album: The Complete Studio Recordings 2002-2015
Label: Edsel
Tracks: 54
Website: http://www.casttour.com

In recent years John Power has played John Lennon on stage and way back when was in the second best pop quartet to come out of Liverpool. (The La's in case anyone's wondering.) In between then and now came a decade-long career in the hugely popular Cast, complete with hit singles, sell out tours, massive memories and a hand in defining something called Britpop.

Word is there'll be a new Cast album before long as well, but Power will probably have to get back to you about that supposed La's reunion/tour/album/rehearsal.

Anyway, having made a more than decent fist of rounding up Cast's four albums Edsel do the decent thing and turn their detailed attention to John Power's solo recordings across four CDs (all three albums and a set of rarities, new recordings and radio sessions) and a DVD in a box.

Having canned Cast in 2001, Power kept his powder dry, resisted the urge to jump straight back on the bandwagon and made his solo debut in 2003 with Happening For Love. He got John Leckie (Stone Roses, La's, Cast, Radiohead, PiL, John Lennon) in to produce and emptied his coffers of 60s jangle pop-inspired potential Cast tunes. While it won't stop many in their tracks, it remains a solid album, the sound of a decent songwriter finding his feet without a band to sate. Stand out tune: Mariner.

Neither was he in any hurry to release the follow up - 2006's rootsier, more introverted Willow She Weeps. Guided as much by the solo offerings of Syd Barrett as by his home city's long held embrace of country music, it's a refreshingly unself-conscious record, brim full of brio and oozing enthusiasm. Stripped of his world-weary rock star schtick, Power delivers youthful and appealing takes on country-blues, folk and acoustic R&B withouth anything too earnest or overly reverential. The pick of the four bonus tracks is the rollicking Old Red Sea Trilogy.

His third solo record, Stormbreaker, found the John Power Band plugged in and ready to go. Continuing the roosty explorations of the previous release, it ramps up the skiffle and gives the blues a good dusting as well. In places it echoes (but never apes) The La's and, by extension, early Beatles… well, it would, wouldn't it, la?! Stormbreaker is the most complete (and most difficult to find) album here and proof positive there's plenty more in Power's tank.

The final CD is the one that has excited fans the most, rounding up last December's Mariner Sessions - new and unreleased songs (the meaty beaty big and bouncy Station Master is the gem) as well as acoustic versions of songs from the first two albums - with a 2006 Janice Long radio session and a slew of unreleased demos.

He's probably not going to gain many new fans with an exercise such as this, but it's a timely reminder of just how good he can be.

Nick Churchill
www.thegranvillechambers.co.uk