Unexpectedly great solo music

For when someone from a band goes solo and releases music you were taken aback by because of how good it was.

Inspired by one of the blokes from Bombay Bicycle Club releasing these tracks which surprisingly jazzy and soulful and GREAT

Bill leaves The Coral, turns out to be a total hearthrob with a good line in melancholy and catharsis

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Crosby, Stills, Nash and YoUng

Not sure why I was so surprised by Brett Anderson’s solo stuff, but I was.

He’s got elegiac pop songs that wouldn’t sound out of place on a latter day Bowie album:

And delicate piano songs that are just…you know?

Also like that first solo album Bernard Butler put out, if only for this song:

Jack Steadman (BBC/Mr. Jukes) has quietly been releasing great electronic / beats solo stuff for ages. shows an obvious vast talent but also clearly influenced the direction the band went

Homeshake would be a good recent example for me too, didn’t expect a Mac DeMarco band mate to produce something quite so golden

thought Gerard Way’s solo stuff was a lot better than it had any right to be

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Going back a bit but, before she released Debut, I think very few people expected Björk to turn into one of the most significant artists of her generation. Still got so much love for that record.

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Jimi Chamberlin’s solo record was a corker.

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Thought of him straight away

Great call.

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Adam Betts, drummer out of Three Trapped Tigers (amongst other things)

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James Iha’s Let It Come Down was pretty good too!

Actually, I’m not convincedI was that taken aback by its awesomeness, having seen him drum with TTT and at Goldie’s Timeless show.

^This plus his first instrumental album is really good too.

Russell Simins, the drummer from the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, released a cracking solo album in 2000.

Stay is one of my absolute favourite songs.

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Not unexpected as I always feel he’s one of the greats but this isn’t a bad way to start your solo career. Absolute class.

Eric Bachmann from Archers of Loaf has done some superb solo records.

Stephen Malkmus’ debut album is better than any Pavement album for me.

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