THIS CHARMING MUSIC: Boz Boorer and Robert Pollard produce dazzling, whimsical records

"Some of the Parts" by Boz Boorer

One will be hard-pressed to find many current musicians with a r+â-¬sum+â-¬ as accomplished as Boz Boorer, as under the radar as he is. Known to most as a songwriting partner and guitarist for the legendary Morrissey, as well as a founding member of the neo-rockabilly group The Polecats, Boorer's latest release sees this magician of a musician taking all of the cues and influences from his impressive musical lifespan and molding them into a lovingly magnificent journey.

"Tokyo Calling," the album's fifth track, perfectly summarizes the rockabilly infatuation that Boorer has held on to for the past 30 years. Complete with the bluesy jangle that made up most of Boorer's guitar playing during his early years and with an energetic prowess unmatched in many of today's rockabilly acts, I can practically hear Tim Polecat, vocalist and guitarist for The Polecats, begging this for an inclusion in current set lists.

"Jackie Brown" is a number with a blatantly obvious The Rolling Stones influence that showcases some dirty, no-frills rock 'n' roll that is about as straightforward and to the point as one can get, while "Slippery Forces" has the indie-pop and rock overtones that Boorer has been perfecting during his time with Morrissey.

Dazzling is really the only appropriate way to sum up "Some of the Parts." The record runs rampant with an eclectic mix of influences in and out of the rock umbrella; rockabilly, blues-rock, psychedelia, indie pop, you name it.

"Jack Sells the Cow" by Robert Pollard

Robert Pollard has been a busy bee this past year. He has put out two Guided By Voices albums, with another one slated for a November release, as well as dropping two solo records, which includes his most recent one, "Jack Sells the Cow." By most standards, this would seem like a mammoth of a feat, but this is all in a day's work for Pollard.

Tunes such as "Pontius Pilate Heart" and "Tight But Normal Squeeze" are fantastic tracks that hark back the early days of Guided By Voices, such as the "Forever Since Breakfast" EP, which is basically jangle-poppy R.E.M. worship, channeled through Pollard's brilliant knack for making tunes that are a bit more odd and colorful than what most bands are capable of writing.

"The Rank of a Nurse," a ballad-like tune present on the last half of the record, is one of those Pollard songs where he could randomly choose words out of an English dictionary and it would still put me on the verge of tears. At the beginning he sings, "You like to have your drink/You like to think that she is pink/But she pulls the rank of a nurse and that could be curse/But it could really be far worse." Pollards lyrics are, and have always been, rich and textured in a way that is open to multiple views of interpretation.

"Jack Sells the Cow" does not contain anything that Pollard has not experimented with before, much in the same way as his previous solo record, "Mouseman Cloud." But "Jack Sells the Cow" is a whimsical and wonderful record that showcases a man having loads of fun. He has long passed the point where he needs to prove anything to anyone.


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