Saturday, August 30, 2008

Feeling Bookish


An unpredictable and dramatic “big band song cycle about science and information”, Everything/ Everything, the 3rd album from Simon Bookish and his first worldwide release on Tomlab, represents a new departure for London-based composer Leo Chadburn. Though previous Simon Bookish releases have been informed by the sounds of digital synthesizers, Everything/Everything does away with them entirely to focus on live instruments.

Scored for an ensemble dominated by saxophones, brass, piano, harp and Farfisa organ, the album features luminaries from both the jazz and experimental classical music scenes. While this is almost certainly his most pop-oriented release to date, Everything/Everything, as its name suggests, finds room for moments of racing Philip Glass minimalism, lop-sided disco, expressionist cabaret, and even an eerie ambient interlude.

Think of Simon Bookish as the Tindersticks on acid or the Divine Comedy gone psycho. In any case, Simon Bookish is great left of centre pop that's utterly enjoyable and crazy. There hasn't been a good theatrical pop album like this in a while.

Download: Dumb Terminal

1 comment:

curiosofsigns said...

I've just er, nicked it, and I agree, it's great.

Social commentary of Jarvis Cocker meets Divine Comedy intellectualism meets Kurt Weill provocation. Very refreshing take on pop I reckon.