While the rest of his Britpop peers seem to have carved out a career as talking heads on TV clip shows, former Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker continues to confuse and befuddle his listeners with each new release. Further Complications is his second solo album and it’s produced by Steve Albini – yes, that Steve Albini. For the last two decades our Jarv has made his name creating left-of-centre, awkward pop records and now he’s gone rock. Kinda.
Further Complications sees the songwriter abandon his penchant for all things kitsch in favour of reuniting with his first love – glam rock. It’s hard not to hear the likes of the Sweet, T-Rex, Roxy Music and the Glitter Band on ‘Angela’ and the saxophone heavy ‘Homewrecker!’ but it’s all done with a typical Cocker-esque charm. There are also hints of the singer’s former group with lines like “I met her in the museum of paleontology and I make no bones about it” (‘Leftovers’). In the main, however, it seems like the former tweed- aficionado wants to rock out with his Cocker out. And you know what? He does it very well indeed..