"The last wheel has come off the dog", said an anonymous commenter somewhere on the Internet following the release of Belle & Sebastian's new album. A beautiful comment but I do not quite agree with the sentiment. Late Developers (★★★½), the surprise new album, is actually a very good late period Belle & Sebastian LP (same as last year's A Bit Of Previous). It is patchy, granted, but occasional brilliance ("When The Cynics Stare Back From The Wall") trumps the odd misstep ("I Don't Know What You See In Me", which is frankly embarrassing). Stuart Murdoch still has the songwriting edge. Oddly, it is the taste I'm starting to get concerned about.
Iggy Pop's taste has long been an issue, and Every Loser (★★½) is part self-parody and part uninspired dreck ("Neo Punk"? Jesus). Still, his personality saves him on a few occasions, and the folk-ish and ultra-serious "Morning Show" has him put that unmistakable croon to good use. In Robert Pollard's case, though, it is hard to say what is self-parody and what is not. The strangely titled La La Land (★★★) is a run-of-the-mill recent Guided By Voices album which, a few obligatory highlights aside, I do not have much use for.
Another artist living very much in their own world is Lawrence. Mozart Estate is his latest moniker, the fourth one. The music, though, is Go-Kart Mozart all over again: cheap, sardonic, self-pitying, brilliant. Pop-Up! Ker-Ching! And The Possibilities Of Modern Shopping (★★★★) bristles with wit and screwball charm. There is an ode to the Poundland store chain, the obnoxious brilliance of "Vanilla Gorilla", the childish whimsy of "Pink And The Purple". As ever, the line between tacky keyboards and God-like genius is very thin.
Speaking of it, I am afraid that Ireland-based Murder Capital just do not have that. They are often compared to Fontaines D.C. but, again, nothing on Gigi's Recovery (★★★) goes beyond 'worthy post-punk sound, next please'. There may be potential but the album severely lacks in catharsis. And when I say catharsis, I mean something like "Long Live The Strange" on Gaz Coombes's Turn The Car Around (★★★½). That monster groove is pure fire, and it might end up as one of the best things I will hear all year. Turn The Car Around is the fourth album from Supergrass' man, and while nothing approaches that moment of genius (though the title song comes close), the album's brand of neo-psychedelic power pop is lush, rich and soulful.
Finally, the latest album from the extremely prolific James Yorkston, the collaboration with Nina Persson and The Second Hand Orchestra is yet another tasteful folk-pop affair. The Great White Sea Eagle (★★★½) is slow and meditative but it has substance and moments of truly transcendent beauty (like "Keeping Up With The Grandchildren, Yeah").
Songs of the month:
Gaz Coombes - "Long Live The Strange"
Mozart Estate - "When The Harridans Came To Call"
Belle & Sebastian - "When The Cynics Stare Back From The Wall"
Iggy Pop - "Morning Show"
James Yorkston, Nina Persson & The Second Hand Orchestra - "A Heavy Skeleton Lifts A Heavy Wing"
Guided By Voices - "Queen Of Spaces"
