Jarvis Cocker – “Further Complications”

Presenter

shy swan

Published

Friday 19th June

Filth only to those who haven’t lived interesting enough lives, Jarvis Cocker’s second solo effort, “Further Complications” puts it out there what many secretly want to experience, but only do so passively on the ‘net in the wee hours while their significant others sleep.

Pulp founder and complicated soul, Jarvis Cocker’s self-deprecating, yet worldly subject matter is as uncomfortable as his uncomfortable poses on the sleeve. Released in May ‘09, only a month after his divorce, he wastes no time with apologies, nor ever has. Songs written in the first-person like I Never Said I Was Deep, paradoxically state that he is “profoundly shallow”, and, as in Angela, boldly sees nothing perverse in a 45 year old man singing about a 23 year old girl blowing his mind. Leftover is a collaborative piece written by Cocker, Pulp’s Steve Mackay (saxophone, bass), Martin Craft (guitar, backing vocals, keyboard), Ross Orton (drums), and Simon Stafford (keyboards, backing vocals, guitar). It‘s about nowness; wanting to make love to/with a chick he meets in a fossil factory and telling her so, repeatedly, “before we both become extinct”. Then there’s the Fuckingsong that’s a song about him metaphorically being the song that can satisfy hedonistically, instantly and consistently, but only as a song.

Beyond the subject matter, this album features accomplished musicianship and was produced, mixed and mastered by multi-talented studio rat/muso Steve Albini in Chicago.

We may remember Cocker’s protest against Michael Jackson’s “messiah” at the 1996 BRIT Awards, then presenting a BRIT Award in 2007, or, his angsty Running The World from his solo debut album Jarvis (2006). Yes, Jarvis Cocker is a psychosocial music maker and adept at beautifully crafted and succinct tunes.