Further Complications

After the marvellous, though melancholy 'Jarvis'which considered weighty topics such as fatherhood and globalisation, 'Further Complications' sees Mr Cocker back on familiar lyrical ground (sex,frustration, romanticism and poetic flights of fancy).
However, sonically it is quite a different affair- with the guitars turned up to '11' and some of the rawest, howling vocals Jarvis has done since 'This Is Hardcore'.
But he hasn't lost his ear for a heart-wrenching chord change. 'Hold Still' and 'Slush' (written in response to his recent trip to the Arctic) are simply beautiful.
'There's even a Barry White moment on the closing track 'In My Eyes-Disco Song', which could have been horribly cheesy were it not for Jarvis' mellow vocals.
The instrumental tracks such as Pilchard take a few listens, but after 25 years of songwriting, you've got to hand it to Jarvis Cocker for still daring to be different.
'Further Complications' may not sell by the bucketload, but I guarantee it will maintain your interest longer than most of the competition.
Stand out tracks:
'Slush'
'I Never Said I Was Deep'
'Hold Still'
'Further Complications'
'Homewrecker'

Being the British Pop Poet Laureate is a strange job. And whilst thankfully, The Jarv hasn't been appointed to write songs about royalty - for if he did, the first one would probably have a line about Charles being a tampon and Camilla having a crampon and Prince Harry, the Nazi - and all the other things we think but shouldn't say - he'd immediately resign. Or be hung.

The important thing is that Jarvis Cocker is still working - and not being rubbish at it. Whereas many contemporaries have drifted into lazy parody, Cocker is out there. Unlike Pulp, where the infusion of old-skool synths gave the music an instantly dated summer-of-1974 feel, here on the second record - "Further Complications" - Cocker goes for a different type of dating ; a throwback to an angry glam rock, built on Cro-Magnon guitar riffs and fuzzy, filthy bass.

The album is simpler than Jarvis previous work ; in the way that Nick Cave's "Grinderman" was still, obviously, Nick Cave ; albeit gutteral, more primal. "Caucasian Blues" is a rampage; Jarvis pushes the limits of his blues to a shredded howl - or as much of one that Cocker can produce.

Cocker is still in the gutter, still looking at the stars. The opening lines of "Fckingsong" encapsulate this : the musical version of Alex the Droog on his knees prostrate in front of the vision of desire, unable to touch. It's raw, eloquent, desire, the sound of a man who can articulate love but unable to experience it. The 17 year old who circles his love, but finds all their heart needs actually wants is an older lover with a job and a car. What the heart desires is Further Complications, the drama of passion and love.

In many ways, this reminds of the Relaxed Muscle album Jarvis made, a set of sultry, sometimes obtuse songs, experiments from the template where Jarvis moves away from what you expect : "Pilchard" is a three minute instrumental romp with Jarvis breathing heavily over it. Sounds rubbish ; it's magnificently simple. "Homewrecker" sounds like a sex crazed cross of The Blues Brothers, James Brown, and British Repression.. It's still obviously Him, the core essence of his artistic identity stamped all over the record, but to me, nothing as obvious as "Don't Let Him Waste Your Time" from the 'Jarvis Cocker Record'.

The album is bookended by the apt "Discosong", a hymn to the end of the night, the last dance, and with that, "Further Complications" disappears into the ether, a UFO ascending the heavens. It's not a bad trip to take, to explore Jarvis innerspace.

Or, put it this way : You'll want to listen to this a lot more than the Oasis album.

I have to say first of all congratulations Jarvis on a fantastic album, `Further Complications' is awesome. I swear I had it in my cd player for days and days; I couldn't stop playing it... lovely! There is real personality in this work. I love the divine `I Never Said I Was Deep' it's gorgeous and is followed nicely by the rocky extroverted `Homewrecker' but my favourite by far is `You're In My Eyes (Discosong)' I can barely believe how listenable this song is. WOW! Good-on-you Jarvis! Thank you very very much. X X X