Song Review: Sting - 'And Yet' (2013)

Sting is at a point in his career where he can follow whatever mood or muse he so desires. Such is pretty much what he has spent the last decade doing, too, with left-field explorations in lute (Songs From the Labyrinth), seasonal lore (If On a Winter’s Night...), and orchestral adaptations (Symphonicities) broadening the contexts of his artistry. That said, Sting is now set to return to mainstream pop with his soon-to-be-released LP, The Last Ship, which for fans of his most definitive music should serve as reason to rejoice.

However, if the album is characterized by songs like his newest single, “And Yet,” don't bother. At first it almost sounds like latter day Steely Dan if not for it lacking any hint of swing or groove, sort of like smooth-jazz schmaltz. Perhaps it will complement the narrative arc of The Last Ship—the album ostensibly depicts the decline of the shipbuilding trade during the 1980s’ in the city of Sting’s birth, Newcastle, England—but as a song in its own right it’s a bland, unremarkable effort.