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Aeterna ” begins its assault , it ’ s clear these guys can still make a visceral impact . The track would make a perfect soundtrack to the final scene of an action movie , complete with a catchy melody and Lars Ulrich mutilating his double-kick drum . Possibly the best Metallica single since “ Enter Sandman ” and worth the price of admission alone .
– Andy Derer
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ROBYN HITCHCOCK Shufflemania
( Tiny Ghost )
Robyn Hitchcock ’ s music has ranged far and wide in a recording career stretching back to 1977 with the Soft Boys . Since going solo in 1981 , he ’ s made his mark with sublime pop , jagged acoustic material , and surreal art-pop . He ’ s a psychedelic wordsmith and poet at the intersection of Syd Barrett and Bob Dylan and remains a dedicated student of both . He has covered other influential artists , including the Beatles , Psychedelic Furs , Nick Drake , David Bowie , Johnny Cash , Roxy Music , and loads of others that can be heard fluttering at the edges of his sound . Somehow , it never seems redundant . Shufflemania is Hitchcock ’ s 22nd solo album , written and recorded like many other recent albums during the isolating period of 2020 ' s Great Pause . However , the album doesn ’ t seem stuck in the gloom that so many are still determined to shake off . Instead , these ten songs operate as an invigorating antidote that remains useful today . Hitchcock himself has wryly characterized the album as “ a party record , with a few solemn moments , as parties are wont to supply .” The value of community , camaraderie , and friendship is evident in the many guests who grace the tracks . Brendan Benson , Smiths veteran Johnny Marr , Patrick Sansone of Wilco , Hitchcock ’ s supremely talented partner Emma Swift , Kelley Stoltz , Dr . Dog drummer Eric Slick , Davey Lane of Aussie rockers You Am I , Sean Lennon , and former Soft Boys bandmates Kimberley Rew and Morris Windsor are just a handful of the better-known names among Shufflemania ’ s talented crew . Most of them provided their parts remotely from home studios during the lockdown .
Many of these tracks spit sparks and raise a ruckus in defiance of the climate that produced them . “ The Shuffle Man ” is a poppunk powder keg and a giddy throwback to mod-era psychedelia , celebrating an imp who inspires us to embrace the random and make the best of things . “ The Feathery Serpent God ” is Hitchcock ’ s nighinscrutable nod to Quetzalcoatl , the Aztec patron deity of the arts ( among other things ). The song is elevated by Swift ’ s warm harmonies , and sitar and baritone guitar guide the sound toward a blend of “ Wichita Lineman ” and “ Tomorrow Never Knows .” The chugging “ Midnight Tram to Nowhere ” finds Hitchcock ’ s Dylanesque harmonica flying over a restless groove , accompanied by a gruff refrain a la John Entwistle on The Who ’ s “ Boris the Spider .” Aided by Benson and Rew , “ The Sir Tommy Shovel ” taps the bracing spirit of the Soft Boys while Hitchcock pines for a getaway to a welcoming but imaginary English pub concocted when nobody was getting away too much of anywhere . The ghost of George Harrison haunts the corners of the jangling folk-pop number “ The Inner Life of Scorpio .” On tracks including the ruminative “ Socrates in Thin Air ,” Hitchcock demonstrates his unparalleled knack for coaxing deep thoughts from the outlandish and absurd . The titular philosopher rises above the mediocre minds around him and tries to avoid the ones who ultimately did him in via death by hemlock – even if no one was willing to take responsibility for the plot . “ Ask any executioner , they ’ ll say ‘ I don ’ t make the rules ,’” sings Hitchcock . The laid-back samba “ Noirer than Noir ” champions the stoic self-reliance of someone who only confides their innermost truths alone on the phone to themselves . “ Who else can you trust ?” sings Hitchcock . Another noirish track is imbued with the unavoidable specter of mortality . " Respect the dead ,” sings Hitchcock in soothing and dreamy tones during the Raymond Chandlerinspired “ The Man Who Loves the Rain .” “ You ' ll be joining them soon ." With Charlie Francis ’ piano and Davey Lane ’ s guitar , “ The Raging Muse ” strikes a balance between psychedelic latter-era Beatles and glammy Mott the Hoople . The song visits a recurring Dali-esque dream of wriggling fish in the grass – fish out of water representing stray thoughts that are never captured . Glistening album closer “ One Day ( It ’ s Being Scheduled )” pines for a great Utopian time when “ the color of your skin won ’ t be the great divide ,” neighbors truly love one another , and “ the human race will not be run by bullies .” Still , Hitchcock adds , “ Don ’ t hold your breath . It ’ s being scheduled .” In a long arc overflowing with songs , it ’ s easy for a latecomer to have missed segments of Hitchcock ’ s output . Shufflemania is a perfectly good point to dive in . 2017 ’ s selftitled release is another recent project illustrating the artist ’ s continuing strengths .
It ’ s odd thinking that Jonathan Demme ’ s career overview film Storefront Hitchcock is now 25 years old , but that ’ s another good doorway into this artist ’ s work . At 70 ,