The Sweetness of the Water

Remote from the bustle of the dance and jig milieu, I chose this cd for reasons of curiosity. Could John Coxon, whose saucepan + cornflake-packet offerings of yore I was aware of have truly penetrated the pulsating infrastructure of sound lore? This compact disc was both a revelation and a relief. All 8 tracks on the album are witness to acute musical sensibility, a finely tuned sense of where acoustic aesthetics can blossom, and a childlike humour that is witheringly emancipatory. There is virtually nothing that one could criticise: no superfluity, no affectation, and only a modest yet decent dose of narcissistic despondency. The music is fun and, at the same time, deeply exploratory. General assessment: simply spiffing. Coxon and Wales and all the collaborators on this album demonstrate that avant garde does not necessarily imply hot cross buns. I give it four stars plus one for style, which makes five altogether.