There was a certain sense of justice when Edwyn Collins finally landed a surprise pop hit in the mid-1990s with "A Girl Like You", considering the former Orange Juice singer was one of the first children of punk to prominently embrace pop. But there was an even greater sense of injustice when, in 2005, Collins suffered a series of strokes and brain hemorrhages that sent him to the hospital for half a year and left him unable to read, write, walk, or talk.
Yet as befits a man tenacious enough to thrive largely in the margins for so many years, Collins resisted the urge to retire and instead began a rigorous regimen of physical rehabilitation. Struggling with wheelchairs and dysphasia, Collins was nonetheless able to complete 2007's Home Again, the album he began before his setbacks. Even more remarkable, he made a confident return to the stage, albeit in limited form. Still, it's a small miracle that Collins created Losing Sleep, his first new album since starting his recovery. The title refers to Collins' restless nights kept awake by his creative impulses-- "I'm losing sleep, I'm losing dignity," he sings-- but despite the consciously autobiographical bent of many of the tracks, Collins is not out for sympathy. The album, with its ever-thrilling underpinning of northern soul and cool post-punk grooves, is no mere comeback. It's a victory lap, capping off all Collins had to go through to get this point.
Admittedly, Collins remains unable to play the guitar, and beyond that his distinctive voice honestly isn't quite what it once was. But, hey, the man's 51, and abetted by a fine team of friends and collaborators, damned if his knack for melody hasn't remained intact. For that matter, said friends and collaborators do an ace job bringing Collins' inner vision to life. Ryan Jarman of the Cribs helps give "What Is My Role?" an agitated edge that finds Collins (not surprisingly) wondering aloud about his current place in the world. "Do It Again" was recorded with Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos and Nick McCarthy, but were their names omitted (and their backing vocals dropped) we'd be none the wiser as to their input. The same goes for the soaringly romantic "In Your Eyes", which teams Collins with the Drums-- and recalls early New Order at their warmest and most approachable.
No shock that likeminded soul Johnny Marr helps get the most out of the sunny "Come Tomorrow, Come Today" (with its defiant declaration: "no more tears"). But the best pairing may be Collins teamed up with longtime Scot-pop peer Roddy Frame of Aztec Camera fame for "All My Days". If much of Losing Sleep features Collins coming out swinging and aiming to please-- "Bored" may be the most swaggering track ever recorded about literally learning to walk again-- the moving "All My Days" features him vulnerable and laid bare. "I'm trying to comprehend the force, the fear," Collins croons before delivering the more optimistic kicker: "I'm willing to accept the good that's near."
Things get even more hushed and introspective on the concluding "Searching for the Truth", but if one thinks listening to Collins sing, "I will always be lucky in my life, and I will find a way to get there," will provide nothing but heartbreak, well, that's only half the story here. It's sad, yes, to consider all he's gone through, but that sadness is ameliorated by what's come out the other side. Is Collins fully recovered? Overlooking his ongoing physical struggles and instead focusing on "Losing Sleep", the answer must be a resounding and inspiring "yes."
