Cheapness and Beauty

Tied in to the release of his engaging first autobiography and often providing lyrical portraits of people in it, Cheapness and Beauty found Boy George celebrating the glam and punk inspirations of his 70s youth, often trying out a throatier rasp over predominantly guitar heavy arrangements from regular collaborator John Themis. A fun cover of Iggy Pop’s “Funtime” kicks things off but the emotional gut-punch of the album’s close – the break up ballad “Unfinished Business” and the crushing farewell to a friend dying of AIDS, “Il Adore” – is the high point.