Ian Ball (Gomez) - Unfold Yourself (2013)

The second solo album from Gomez’s Ian Ball (not the one with the raspy voice) seems somewhat unnecessary as many tracks here appear a tad Gomez-lite. The whole shebang is based around Ball’s fine ear for a melody, which remains as strong as ever, but these lines are often filtered into breezy little pop tracks that are content to merely coast along. When Ball adds a little grunt, as he does on Open Sesame and the propulsive Memory Test, things get way more interesting, while the African-flavoured Changer is another highlight in a nice, but not especially essential release.