unkle-warstories music reviews Virgin Media
James Lavelle dollops desert rock on his dance on guest-star heavy third album
Unkle mainman James Lavelle releasing a new album is usually something of an event. DJ, label owner and all-round musical multi-tasker, previous LPs have incorporated stunning artwork, innovative promotion and a range of collaborations not expected on his dark hip hop-influenced electronica. 1998’s debut Psyence Fiction featured The Verve’s Richard Ashcroft and most memorably, Thom Yorke on Rabbit In The Headlights – a track supported by a video as disturbing as it was acclaimed.
This third album continues in this vein, with Josh Homme (Queens Of The Stone Age) and Ian Astbury (The Cult) mucking in alongside 3D from Massive Attack on vocal cameos. However, Unkle in 2007 are a much rockier proposition: co-producer is desert rock overlord Chris Goss and his noisy paws are all over this blustery collection. That’s not to say a dancy edge has been lost: Mayday and Restless are filthily pumping piledrivers reminiscent of the Chemical Brothers’ more recent pscyh-excursions. While it can all feel rather relentlessly one-paced and over-menacing, moments like Twilight (with 3D’s shoegazer-esque soul) do at least provide some light relief. In all, a welcome return.
More to try:
Unkle: Psyence Fiction
Massive Attack: Mezzanine
The Chemical Brothers: We Are The Night
