Ringo Starr may not have been the most talented member of the Beatles, but to many of their fans he was far and away the nicest. It's this spirit of goodwill that carries his 13th solo album, a gentle re-working of the sounds that inspired him when he first struck out on his own in 1970. The most famous drummmer in history says today's world needs an injection of peace and love more than ever, and who's to say he's wrong? So we get lots of dewy-eyed songs about the need for people to come together, plenty of Fab Four in-jokes and a flirtatious guest appearance from Chrissie Hynde. Starr's voice, meanwhile, while never exactly a thing of great beauty, has mellowed to the point where he now sounds remarkably like a blissed-out Paul McCartney. There's nothing remotely groundbreaking about Choose Love - but it is an enjoyably heartfelt reminder that Ringo remains one of music's good guys.
