Edwyn Collins: I'm Not Following You

In 1995, Edwyn Collins had a hit with "A Girl Like You," the best non-David Bowie David Bowie song released that year. While the comparison may be diffiicult to shake—there's always the matter of that voice—I'm Not Following You is innovative and entertaining enough to establish the former Orange Juice lead singer as more than a mere one-hit wonder. For the self-produced album, Collins brings studio flair to the foreground, creating a sound that absorbs dance-music influence and converts it into something recognizable as pop. The lead-off single "The Magic Piper (Of Love)" provides an example of this formula at its most successful, but there's plenty of worthwhile material scattered throughout I'm Not Following You. "Downer" accentuates the dark side of Collins' brooding baritone, and the closing title track is an especially memorable piece of melodrama. Though not without its weak moments—the ponderous "Adidas World" is one—I'm Not Following You is a pleasant surprise.