Former Nemo man and one time Mighty Boosh collaborator James Cook returns to the fray aided and abetted by members of the Cinematic Orchestra and Sneaker Pimps and sporting a new full length and a pre teaser EP.
The ‘Arts and Sciences’ EP features the lead out title cut and the master classic ‘three Ages of Man’ as well as two additional re-treads by the much admired Noblesse Oblige and Tanguy Guezo. With its heart in the 80’s and its eyes peaking into the distant future the kookily chipped ’Arts and Sciences’ is a head swooning slab of retro electro cool that nods to a youthful Thomas Dolby as it feasts upon an osmotic pop musicalia that swerves, swoons and swirls to the kind of wooing and wispy pop perfected wonderland that glides sumptuously on a galactic chassis that’s guaranteed on just one hearing to take up squatters rights in your head space.
Given the Noblesse make over the same cut has its orbital alignment relocated to some far off star system to airily twinkle and shimmer within a hermetically sealed spectral bubble while with its subtle industrial sculpturing TG endows a deeply intoxicating and schizoid panoramic aura that splinters between the spectral and the frantic. Best of the set by some distance though is the darkening ’Three ages of Man’ which treated to a prime coat of ghostly choral caress’ creaks achingly and disconsolately to a withering beading that howls to a hollowed and mercurial soft psych pageantry dimpled in a forlorn majesty that admirers of Paul Roland may well prick an ear or two ago.http://jamescook.bandcamp.com/album/arts-and-sciences-ep
[Rating:4]
