2009-05-17
After fronting Pulp, semi-retirement in Paris, songwriting for the likes of Marianne Faithful and Charlotte Gainsbourg, appearing in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (as lead singer for the Weird Sisters), Jarvis Cocker is finally having a go at his second solo release. Produced by Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies) and featuring plenty of tongue-in-cheek lyrics, this album rocks in all the right places. The vocals were mixed front and center and they can take some getting used to, but it works. Many songs can be compared to other artists such as "Angela" (Smithereens), "Homewrecker" (Virginia Plain-era Roxy Music), and the awesome "You're In My Eyes" (Flight of the Concords covering Bowie?). Incidentally, Jarvis is currently composing music for Wes Anderson's animated adaptation of Roald Dahl's "The Fantastic Mr. Fox". It is set to be released in Nov. 2009 and will feature Mr. Anderson's usual cast of actors including Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, and Angelica Huston. Rebecca RuthThe opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.