Bernard Butler's stormy departure from Suede in 1994 smacked of celebrity self-indulgence. After all, he seemed to be leaving a good thing--Suede's future couldn't have looked brighter, and he already appeared to have a huge degree of creative control. So what did he want, to sing, too? After a few years of jumping from one celebrity project to another (as if he needed further Johnny Marr comparisons), Butler decided to go it alone with PEOPLE MOVE ON.
That's where the speculation ends. PEOPLE MOVE ON is a masterful debut, highlighted by the youthful swagger of Butler's voice. Opening with the slow bombastic groove of "Woman I Know," he proceeds to fill the space with beautiful noise of every stripe. With a few exceptions (including an appearance by celeb chum Edwyn Collins), Butler wrote, played and produced all of PEOPLE MOVE ON. Aside from the boatload of big, enviable electric guitar riffs, Butler shows an adeptness on the acoustic, hinted at in Suede ("The Living Dead") and fully realized here, notably on "You Light The Fire," a beautiful ballad of vocals and fingerpicked guitar.