Marc Almond knows all about drama. The former Soft Cell man has experienced his share of personal turmoil through the decades, but what has triumphed over adversity is a spirit of rebelliousness that has naturally migrated to his work. This is none more apparent than with Shadows and Reflections, a collection of baroque pop songs from the 1960s that Almond has seen fit to tweak in the way he alone can, with rich orchestrations and lavish arrangements. He tackles virtually forgotten songs by the likes of Julie Driscoll (I Know you Love me Not), The Herd (From the Underworld), Bobby Vinton (Blue on Blue, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David), and The Yardbirds (Still I'm Sad). The overall tone is plush, yet everything is suitably grounded by Almond's rugged yet considerate attention to detail. marcalmond.co.uk