Graham CoxonA+E
Parlophone Records [2012]
Fire Note Says: Graham Coxon blends his Britpop roots with synths, guitars and drum beats for the entertaining long player A+E!
Album Review:
This new solo record from Graham Coxon is almost perfectly timed as Damon Albarn just recently announced that Blur would not probably be recording any new material. This of course adds extra focus to the guitarist's solo work and his new long player A+E that leaves the folk psych found on his last outing The Spinning Top [2009] well behind.
The good news is that the extra focus should be welcomed here because A+E creatively strikes hard and not only offers Coxon's unique artistic vision but it incorporates his knack for solid Britpop that circulates throughout the ten tracks. It is this combo and how the focus of A+E is not on Coxon's talented guitar work but on drum beats and synth machines. The bouncy "What'll It Take" highlights this as the song's rhythm is what makes you want to come back along with his almost straight forward rock vocals.The tiny musical additions found here really help A+E become a better listen as the dark pulse in the beginning of "The Truth" automatically grabs you as Coxon's somewhat lo-fi vocals slide into the track while the more rapid fire guitar work and quick stair stepping vocals in "Running For Your Life" remind you quickly of how catchy Britpop can be when the hand clap section has your feet tapping and head bobbing. The strong groove that supports the closer "Ooh, Yeh Yeh" kicks the song up a notch as Graham Coxon has never sounded more confident.
A+E is energetic, loud and a catchy listen all the way through. The album is only 10 tracks but is almost 50 minutes long as it loads its songs up with twists and turns but never strays too far that it loses its listeners. This is important as A+E is probably one of Graham Coxon's most accessible records since Happiness In Magazines [2004] and only gets better after repeat listens with its smooth transitions and ear grabbing beats that not only take you back to the Blur hey days but propel you forward into this century!
Key Tracks: "What'll It Take", "Running For Your Life", "Ooh, Yeh Yeh"
Bands With Similar Fire:
Albert Hammond Jr.
Paul Weller
Peter Doherty
Graham Coxon Website
Graham Coxon Facebook
Parlophone Records
-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony
1 comment:
Yeah, but I never liked his anti-american comment of a few years back. Good musician, not great, but his politics must suck. And I~m a liberal guy.
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