Jarvis Cocker - Jarvis

 

 

Release date: Nov 13th, 2006

 

8.2

 

Jarvis is back?

 

After years of doing this and that, he finally decided to release a full album.

Who wouldn’t know, Jarvis Cocker is the front man of the British pop/rock band Pulp. Pulp have been one of the most important bands of the last decade. Yes, it’s Pulp who have released Britpop classics “This Is Hardcore” and “Different Class”.

 

But how does he sound without his mates?

 

The album starts with an instrumental track, 27 seconds of soft piano playing. Well, I wouldn’t say track, snippet. To be exact, a snippet which is the intro to the song called “Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time” which brings back to your memories the good ol’ Britpop. Probably, Jarvis couldn’t find a better song to start an album with. “Black Magic” is a bit similar to the the album opener (well, that short intro isn’t the album opener, obviously), but leaves a mixed feeling. Maybe, because it sounds like a poor The Flaming Lips rip-off. Although, this track, without any doubts, has a very memorable guitar riff. “Heavy Weather” is a positive song. I guess, it’s a song you can’t really hate. It’s good, but not outstanding. The album continues with “I Will Kill Again”. This song is wonderful, it really is. Easily, one of the highlights on the album for me. Beautiful piano chords and heart-touching lyrics. Unfortunately, the next song, “Baby’s Coming Back to Me” is a bit of let down. It’s a nice song and everything, but it leaves a feeling: meeeh in me. Probably the worst song on the album for me. “Fat Children” is the total opposite of what I’ve listened so far. Typical post-punk song. Fast, a bit dirty and a bit angry. Great, love it! Once again, the album switches it’s mood and continues with “From A to I”, a total opposite to a punk song. “From A to I” is relaxing. Really good lyrics and nice melody, all what you need to have a good pop song. “Disney Time” is a really dark song. I don’t really know how to handle this song. On one hand, it’s a great song, smells like a “Pulp-classic”, but on the other hand it doesn’t really fit well on the album. “Tonite”, as it would be expected, is a total opposite to “Disney Time”. Slow tempo, dreamy at some points, good lyrics. Exactly, what you’d expect from this album. “Big Julie” starting with slow piano chords, changing halfway through and reaching at the end “the tragedy feeling”. This makes the song very emotional and melancholy, I guess. The outro, part number 2 of the song “Loss Adjuster” is actually the same as part 1, the intro. After a short confusion with intros and outros the album finally arrives to the final part, “Quantum Theory”. Slow song, a bit annoying, makes you feel a bit tired. I don’t really catch the climax of this song. But somehow it works perfectly as the album closer. Leaves a strange feeling, but this feeling is more positive than negative. Perhaps, this song works only in this concept, as the album closer. You might have a question why the length of the song is over 34 minutes. No you can’t be arsed and think the song is actually that long…The truth is that our musical genius hid another song in these 34 minutes! Well, that’s fine, but who the hell needs 25 minutes of silence? Especially if the hidden track is the actual single! “The Running World”, the hidden track and the first single, is a very honest track with obvious political directions: “Cunts are still running the world?” Well, Jarvis is right, isn’t he...

 

Overally, it’s a good album. No, it’s not Pulp, it’s Jarvis. It’s his album where he expresses his feelings. Jarvis brings back the good old Britpop, which we all miss, into the 21st century. The best song on “Jarvis” is probably “I Will Kill Again”, really self-explanatory and emotional, and it makes this song great. The lowlight is easily “Baby’s Coming Back to Me”, personally just can’t like that song in no way.

 

Basically, my only problem with this album is the concept of it. Or I’d better say: I can’t really see the concept of “Jarvis”. The whole album goes up and down and changes it’s atmosphere song after song. You know, it’s like eating ice-cream and drinking a cup of hot tea at the same time. You can’t have ice-cream and hot tea together, because you will feel pain in your teeth, same goes to this album. You can’t have this song after or with that song, because they don’t really fit together.

 

Despite everything I’ve written, I highly recommend you to listen to this album.

 

Why?

 

1. Because it’s probably better than 90% of everything you listen to nowadays

2. And if you are a Pulp fan, you will get it anyway…

 

It’s an enjoyable album with some particularly outstanding moments.

 

P.S. Yes, Jarvis is back!

Nice review, will have to check out this album soon.

thanks Sam

 

Pitchfork gave it 6.2 today, bastards :dozey:

it deserves more, obviously ;)

http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/cockerjarvis/jarvis

That's a good one, I read the whole review for the first time in my life probably :tongue:

 

Though I still can't find this album :laugh1:

That's a good one, I read the whole review for the first time in my life probably :tongue:

 

Though I still can't find this album :laugh1:

 

check your PMs ;)

it even has a song "Big Julie"...:laugh4:

 

nice one...

check your PMs ;)

 

Can you PM me the album possibly? Your review is making me want to check it out.

i liked the review dude

 

any chance you can upload the album somewhere (a good rip preferebly).

cheers.

Can you PM me the album possibly? Your review is making me want to check it out.

 

sent ;)

 

i liked the review dude

 

any chance you can upload the album somewhere (a good rip preferebly).

cheers.

 

thanks :)

 

PMed you, too