It's there in my files awaiting listening and it's been there for a while. I know I will end up buying it just like you used to in the olden days when Tilt was originally released in 1995. You know, where in exchange for some money you get a physical item containing sound. I'm at some weird crossroads though and I haven't got the nerve to put it on. Scott Walker has recorded 3 of my favourite LPs of the last 20 years, Tilt, The Drift and Bish Bosch. I have actually listened to these 3 albums a lot and his brand of obtuse existentialism, strange beauty and sense of the absurd usually doesn't disturb me. In fact I relish it (I'm about to listen to the 4 tracks by Mars on No New York for gods sake!). What's going on in my brain preventing me from clicking on Soused in my 2014 playlist? Don't worry 4AD you'll get your money, eventually. What am I afraid he might unleash? Maybe I'm worried it won't be any good due to his collaborators but as I've previously stated I don't hate them. Perhaps I think they're unsuited or too suited. Is it too soon? I mean Bish Bosch was only released in 2012! Should I look at it more as a side project?.... not the true follow up to Bish Bosch? Has the mystique dried up? It's called Soused! Will it be like a Cosmic Psychos album? I noticed a review at The Quietus and thought that might gently lead me into the album. I couldn't finish the article as it was the worst pile o shite I ever started reading in my life. I'm still none the wiser about anything! Stay tuned to see what my brain does next. Will I listen to it before it's time for the end of year polls? When will I shell out the cash? Will I even write a follow up post?
It's all happening now. Scott Walker has a new LP out 5 years early. I'm still processing/getting used to The Drift. Geez man give me some time. He must be going through a creative period I mean The Drift was only released in 2006, The one before that Tiltwas '95 and if memory servesClimate of The Hunter was like 1984. Slow down man you'll give yourself a heart attack! Anyway I've had a quick listen to Bish Bosch and well it's what you would expect. How do I describe that? I'll get back to you on that. There did seem to be little cracks of light here and there. One track almost had a groove happening. Another had a little Bossa Nova/Tropicalia/Samba? interlude going on. Hang on am I sure? Diehards don't be disheartened these were very brief moments if they happened at all. It's the usual esoteric Walker walking into a future like no other. Some choice lyrics are 'Nothing clears a room like the removal of a brain' and another where he compares himself to a 'Wildflower Garden, an English Garden'. There are even some rock like textures on Phrasing with 70s metallic riffs popping up randomly amongst other little surreal psych bits. One track Pilgrim has this great percussive backing while he he sings about a room full of mice and blowing bullfrogs with a straw. Then he sings about staring into the bullfrogs eyes before they burst, you know the usual kind of of lyrics for a song. On The Day The "Conducator" Died (An Xmas Song) the final track, the backing could be Slint on really strong painkillers with sleigh bells for percussion and then there is a mini Jingle Bells riff on the bells right at the end I love these people who get more hardcore and don't become complacent and boring in their old age. It's definitely worth aspiring to this being an awkward renegade who doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks. I can imagine him now in his old age still drinking a truckload in the company of sophisticated women with maybe a little something else on the side to get himself going/not going, know what I mean. Or I can see him as being a quiet, solitary, studious and creative man in his abode occasionally going for a walk in the park. Maybe he's somewhere in between which could explain a few things.
Havin' a little sip old skool stylee.
Scott has a secret weapon in Peter Walsh his producer who also accompanied Walker on production duties for Pulp's underrated but tremendous final LP We Love Life. Walsh has been with him since The Climate Of The Hunter. If I have this right he also produced one of the greatest Church LPs ever Heyday from 1985. That was such a beautifully produced record that it is much to my amazement they never used him again. I always thought Heyday was produced by The Apartments Peter Milton Walsh until today. Anyway i thought both Peters were the same Peter so it made no difference to me. Maybe Peter Milton Walsh should get Peter Walsh to produce the next Apartments LP.
