Homesick

Q - 4 stars (out of 5) - "...For all its grooving, it's a worldly record....a rich listen. HOMESICK is as indefinable as it is inspired..." NME - 7 out of 10 - "...a punk-patterned ODELAY....inevitably diverse....sneering, compelling melodies, that prove they really are as pop as they claim." Melody Maker - 3 1/2 stars (out of 5) - "...chic, little beatz-nick vignettes....as vivid as ever....this is their best yet."

Sadly the final album with Galvin, his death tragically ending his 15-year partnership with Dave Woodward after this recording, Homesick makes for a fine if unintentional memorial, with the then-fourpiece act whipping up another sharp combination of styles into a great overall effort. On balance, Homesick is the most accessible of the Experimental Pop Band's 1990s releases, still recognizably its own effort (Woodward's singing here is among some of his best) while possessed of an immediate, lively feel throughout. With Joe Rooney providing the various keyboards and Keith Bailey drumming on everything from tabla to wood blocks, the quartet bring a lot to the table and make it all work very well, trying out whatever appeals to the quartet most at the time. There's a definite '60s feel throughout the album, with an emphasis on the kind of spy movie and sleazy lounge styles bands like Gallon Drunk and Portishead had made popular. "Archive," an instrumental collage of everything from non-English language samples to police sirens and more, is more than a little John Barry. Other explorations include the nutty twang of "Cocaine Cowboy," which more than lives up to its wonderfully odd title and has some early Brian Eno synth burbles to boot, and the glam-into-funk-into-hip-hop of "Everything's Easy," during which Woodward gets in some entertainingly loopy lyrics. One of the best numbers is one of the most seemingly conventional -- "For Dancers Only," the early '60s lounge groove spiked with some amusingly bitter lyrics. There's plenty of humor on display elsewhere: The album's single, "Punk Rock Classic," sounds nothing like such a beast (the title instead refers to the narrator's "spiky-haired" love). Woodward's drawl on the chorus, with backing multi-tracked vocals made even slower, perfectly suits the sly funk groove while sounding nothing like the abominable Fun Lovin' Criminals. ~ Ned Raggett|