Album Review: Rick Astley, Are We There Yet?

Who could have predicted that the ’80s heart-throb responsible for making trench-coats trendy in 1987 would have a resurgence in 2023, and that it would feel both genuine and unironic? This year’s Glastonbury festival proved a triumphant return for 57-year-old Lancashire lad Rick Astley, as he opened proceedings on the Saturday with a pop-tastic performance that included all his hits, before taking on Morrissey’s lyrics for a Smiths covers set with Blossoms later that day.

Inspired by his 2022 jaunt around the US in the company of New Kids On The Block, En Vogue and Salt N Pepa, the dozen tracks on Are We There Yet? are founded on Astley’s love of old school soul. What perhaps shouldn’t be surprising is how competent he sounds, with tracks like the slow Stax feel of ‘Golden Hour’ proving just how good those 57-year-old pipes are.

The southern soul of ‘Dippin’ My Feet’ and the sweaty, brass-driven ‘Maria Love’ are a million miles away from the shiny synth-driven pop he made his name with. ‘Never Gonna Stop’ and ‘Waterfall’ (not a Stone Roses cover, sadly) see him employing a gospel groove, while the closing ‘Blue Sky’ adds some Americana to proceedings, the former pin-up sounding world-weary, as he admits, “I’m a man of steel and rust, my concrete heart is crumbling to dust”.

A return as surprisingly good as it is unlikely.

7/10