Wonderful news: It's the return of the man in Black.Colin Vearncombe, the man who was once Black, sounds contentment itself, writes Mike Polanyk. After all, it's a Wonderful Life!
But when I first came across him, as a young whippersnapper brandishing his independent 12-inch single with his band in tow, he was a study in edginess. A contract with A&M (now long since lost) ironed out all that angst, and the other group members too. Soon Britain was intoxicated by his haunting hits Sweetest Smile, Paradise and the sublime Wonderful Life, the band's best-known work.
He doesn't bother the charts anymore, but he is happy all the same. And you should be too - as he's playing Leicester's Guildhall next month. His new album, The Accused, is a delicate affair, with memorable melodies and timeless appeal. "There is more to life than looking back, and I feel what I'm doing now is more satisfying," he says.