Peter Gabriel: Up

By GRAHAM REID

(Herald rating: * * * )

Gabriel has barely poked his nose out these past few years, the unmemorable OVO album - music for London's Millennium Dome - excepted.

But this earnest outing suggests Gabriel needs to get out of the house more, and maybe listen to those who say, "Cheer up man!"

The soft/loud opener about fear of love and metaphorical monsters sets the melancholic, reflective tone for the album. "Up" this album ain't, the song titles tell you as much: Darkness, Don't Leave, I Grieve ...

While Gabriel has a deserved reputation for crafting diverse sounds meticulously in the studio - and there are sonic treats here - many of these melodies come off as reworkings of familiar riffs, and the consistent application of that midrange voice (and his archetypal yelp) makes for some monotony over the long haul of the 11 tracks.

Little here leaps out like the faux-soul of earlier singles (Sledgehammer) or shows the emotional depth of Don't Give Up.

In fact, for an album of such serious intent it fails to grip emotionally. Guess that's what happens when you deliver everything with the same undifferentiated intensity. It's instructive to listen to his first few solo albums (just reissued) and compare the range he exhibited then.

Still, there are some fine moments here: The Drop is an ethereal, Mercury Rev-like meditation (on September 11 perhaps?); the swelling Barry Williams Show skewers schlock television like Jerry Springer; the closer Signal to Noise features the late Nusrat Fateh Khan, which is always a bonus.

Without Gabriel we might not have Womad (he was a prime mover behind the concept) or as many world music albums.

So it's hats off to Peter for an illustrious career, but this doesn't add much to that legacy - merely reminds you of when he was worth listening for.

Label: Virgin