Jah Wobble`scareer began as the bassist for John Lydon’s post-Sex Pistols band, Public Image Ltd and has gone from strength to strength with collaborations with the likes of Can’s Holger Czukay, U2’s The Edge, Brian Eno, Ministry’s Chris Connelly, Sinead O`Connor and Killing Joke’s Geordie Walker. He has a brand-new solo album released this month `A Brief History Of Now`, co -written, produced, and performed with Jon Klein of Siouxsie & The Banshees and Specimen.
The album opens with `Last Exit` a spoken word diatribe on seemingly present-day America shared over a weaving bass line, guitar riffs and some fairly delightful harmonies. There`s a fairly spellbinding almost mesmerising feel to `Wrong Side Of The Line` which has some part spoken and part quietly sung lyrics that appear to be realistic about ambition, especially from what is portrayed as growing up or coming from a disadvantaged background.
`SOO 135` has an exquisite soundscape where bass, guitar, drums, and saxophone all come together to shape a forceful almost dub like composition. I thought that `I Am, I Am, I Am` felt as if it was somebody sleepwalking through life and expressing themselves in a fairly abstract way.
A gentle reggae dub like earworm of a number.
`Fashion World` is an observational discourse on how we dress these days but is also possibly a metaphor for something deeper in society. It`s a much more, straight forward post punk musical romp. Title track `A Brief History Of Now` is a funky soulful and at times Latino fusion of sounds with a kind of steam of consciousness and occasional Spanish / Hispanic phrases that seem to translate as `God Bless America` interspersed throughout.
`I Am The Fly` is a slightly off kilter but amusing telling of the idiom `Fly in the ointment` which is to say the distracting or irritating someone or something that spoils a pleasant or enjoyable experience shared over a rolling engaging beat. There`s a further curiosity with `Driving` that again strolls along quite hypnotically.
`This Is The Love` for me was a really entrancing listen and has an odd folk like vibe with a banjo or mandolin echo throughout. I thought `Master Of Time` seemed to hark back to the PIL like compositions of old at times along it`s eclectic journey.
`80 Beats Per Minute` probably refers to the fact that a heart rate of eighty beats per minute (or 13.3 beats every 10 seconds) is within the range considered normal for adults and children over ten. The number itself is a kind of easy going fairly reflective ambient jazz like meditation. The album closes out with the wonderfully titled `Socially Functioning Psychopath` which may be about somebody who displays abnormal or violent social behaviour but again maybe a metaphor for something entirely different. The song has distorted or synthesised vocals at times and seemed to be shared in a kind of “Cool for Cats” style.
`A Brief History Of Now` is a charmingly eclectic collection of songs that will have you smiling or scratching your head as each one is unveiled in all its glory. The musicianship is second to none and i`m sure there`ll be something for everyone here to enjoy.
Rating 8.5 /10
