Edwyn Collins - Losing Sleep (2010)

I am writing this review at the request of a friend who has appreciated the music of Edwyn Collins for a while now.  I personally only recognized the name and had never heard any of his own or his former band Orange Juice's material.  Collins is a Scottish alt. rock singer and songwriter who about 5 years ago suffered two brain hemorrhages.  After surgery to repair the problem, he was left with difficulty of speech and underwent much neurological rehabilitation.  It would take him a couple of years to get back to performing.  Collins' latest album (while I have no previous albums to compare to) sounds quite refreshing and features many guests who either feature or have co-written tracks.  Some of these guests are youthful modern musicians while others are established and familiar faces in the realm of indie rock.  Tracks 2 and 7, entitled "What Is My Role" and "I Still Believe In You" feature Ryan Jarman of the Cribs, track 3 called "Do It Again" features Alex Kapranos and Nick McCarthy of Franz Ferdinand, "In Your Eyes", which is track 6, features members of The Drums, track 8 called "Come Tomorrow, Come Today" was co-written with Johnny Marr and lastly, track 9 called "It Dawns On Me" was co-written and performed with Romeo Stodart of the Magic Numbers.  Edwyn Collins' voice is somewhat of an acquired taste but does not hinder the album in any way (Bob Dylan and Neil Young weren't great singers either) and the guest vocals do help move the album along.  Each time Collins has a guest sing on a track, it seems the song benefits and is lifted by that person's personality.  Musically songs are what you would expect in particular with Collins' collaborators.  The song co-written with The Drums definitely has a similar feel to what you would find on said band's debut album.  Collins when not collaborating has a very traditional alt-rock feel to his songs without coming off as boring.  Many songs are upbeat and can really rock overflowing with deep guitar hooks and catchy drum beats.  Considering this is Collins' first album since his medical issues put music to a halt this is a very optimistic and earnest record which is deserving of your time and attention.

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