Jason Pierce, AKA J Spaceman, is quite the solitary space cadet. Or maybe he’s in a parallel universe. Take ‘Let’s Dance’ for example, where Pierce suggests you stay in bed but dance. Wonder what that’s all about.
As always, Pierce remains a laconic but not uncaring presence. ‘On The Sunshine’ is a moment of stark beauty. It shows Pierce is more than just a geezer with a distortion pedal and a fondness for strong riffs. Even in his most dreamy state his voice manages to enthral the hardest heart, like on confessional ‘Damaged’ with its oddball lyricism.
‘The Morning After’ is, for some reason, a nod to T Rex and adds gravitas to the Pierce box of tricks. Here, he really stretches out, adding a level of intrigue and complexity. Some Miles Davis-like squawks seeing the song out.
On other tracks he’s a little maudlin and reserved, skirting an almost unearthly sadness. Nasty jazz, classical, gospel and grunge coalesce in beautiful harmony. A whirlwind of nine tracks, this is a weighty return to form by a musician who’s been weathered by the trials and tribulations of life and come out the other end with something truly ambitious and assuredly brilliant.
8.5
