As solo debuts go it's an absolute belter. Reinvigorated by freedom from the constrains of leading Pulp JARVIS is the sound of Cocker having the time of his life. The final two Pulp albums contained some great moments ('A Little Soul' a personal favourite) but they weren't much fun. Here Cocker let's go like he's not since Different Class.
Barbed and bitchy lyrics as you'd expect from Sheffield's greatest living poet, delivered with relish and all set to some brilliant catchy melodies and pure pop arrangements.
There are some standout Cocker witticisms. 'Don't Let Him Waste Your Time' is a warning call to all the ladies out there being strung along by dastardly men: "because the years go by in an instant / and you wonder what he's waiting for/ and then some skinny bitch walks by in some hot pants / and he's a-running out the door"
But the most deliciously nasty tidbits are tucked away on the best track on album, incredibly it's hidden twenty minutes after the end of the final official song. On 'C*nts Are Still Running The World' Jarvis sings "Well did you hear there's a natural order / those most deserved will always end up with the most / That the cream cannot help but always rise up to the top / well I say, shit floats..." and he has much more to say than that. It's an "anthropologically unjust" anthem for our our age and enough to justify Cocker appear on Question Time every week. Forever. Shame the naughty language will mean more people won't hear it really.
Elsewhere there are big stonking indie-rock choruses like the meaty 'Black Magic' and 'Fat Children' or 'Heavy Weather', a singalong number that could have been the catchy theme tune to an '80s starring Dennis Waterman sitcom. And I mean that in a good way.
JARVIS is the sound of Britain's most articulate pop star in his fittest, funniest and filthiest form of his career. Fab.
BLACK MAGIC
HEAVY WEATHER
C*NTS ARE STILL RUNNING THE WORLD
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