Review

Tuned in, turned on and ready to rock out, the second solo album by the former Pulp frontman and full-time icon of indie-cool is almost great. The lyrics are quintessentially Jarvis, witty, risqué and astute, with his impassioned scrutiny of human mating habits seeing him come across as a randy Richard Attenborough. Of course, much has been made of Steve Albini’s role as producer however, whilst the melodies often sport a black eye and bruises this ain’t dirty rawk, not by a long stretch.

For, alongside the guttural blast of ‘Fuckingsong’, or ‘Homewrecker’, there are the likes of ‘I Never Said I Was Deep’ – a brilliantly humourous ode of self-deprecation – the tender love-song / eco-commentary of ‘Slush’ and the full-on dancefloor seduction of ‘You’re In My Eyes (Discosong)’. Meanwhile, the brash riffage of ‘Angela’ and Stones aping ‘Leftovers’ cast sweaty, furtively funny glances at the female of the species, almost as if Jarvis is casting himself as the spiritual successor to Serge Gainsbourg. Ultimately, though, while you suspect that there is a classic solo album to come from Jarvis Cocker, Further Complications isn’t it. It delights, yes, but disappoints too – ‘Hold Still’, ‘Caucasian Blues’ – and is a little too scattershot to fully hit its mark. Francis Jones

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

DOWNLOAD: ‘I NEVER SAID I WAS DEEP’, ‘FUCKINGSONG’, ‘YOU’RE IN MY EYES (DISCOSONG)’.
FOR FANS OF: SERGE GAINSBOURG, SCOTT WALKER.

Posted on: June 4, 2009