This is becoming quite amusing.
For enthusiasts of Andy Bell's creations, the last few years have been an exciting journey, highlighted by a consistent flow of releases from his various projects. In the past 18 months alone, he has produced two GLOK albums (one live and another in collaboration with Timothy Clerkin), the outstanding ‘Interplay’ with Ride, and now his third solo album, all while continuing the Mantra of the Cosmos project.
While ‘The View from Halfway Down’ offered a variety of finger-plucked folk and psyche-pop, ‘Flicker’ introduced waves of reverb; yet on both records, Bell's vocals remained prominently audible in the mix. On this latest release, however, the former member of Oasis seems content to let the instrumentation take precedence, treating his voice as an extra layer that enhances the song's timbre rather than serving as the main focus.
Before disappearing into the background, Bell introduces the album with the shimmering track ‘Panic Attack’, a driving motorik piece that features an uplifting chorus, paying tribute to Neu! Fittingly, the German band’s guitarist, Michael Rother, appears on the lead single ‘…I’m In Love’, a reinterpreted and renamed version of The Passions’ song, with Dot Allison providing the lead vocals as waves of fuzzy reverb envelop the listener.
The overall cosmic atmosphere permeates the album, but it’s just one aspect of the centerpiece ‘Apple Green UFO’. Over its eight-minute duration, it also features percussion reminiscent of Tony Allen, persistent trumpets, and distorted guitars. Rather than a traditional song, it presents as a leisurely, flowing opus, giving off the impression that it's merely a snapshot of what transpired in the studio.
Interestingly, the recording of ‘…I’m In Love’ motivated Bell to finish the partially completed album in a single warm summer night, and that sense of spontaneous creativity spills over into the music. The electro-pastoral title track is an engaging instrumental that feels immediate, while the brief yet refreshing ‘The Notes You Never Hear’ runs for just under two minutes. In other tracks, ‘Madder Lake Deep’ both drifts above the clouds and immerses itself in shoegaze tranquility, with Bell effectively conveying its dream-inspired quality.
Despite the multitude of ideas, the album maintains a patient pace: the nimble funk of ‘Music Concrete’ unfolds gradually, featuring a softly repeated title, while ‘Space Station Mantra’ pulses and sizzles upwards, bringing the journey full circle with more motorik murmurs.
As an artist, Andy Bell has consistently tapped into otherworldly atmospheres, but on ‘Pinball Wanderer’, he operates within a distinct, groovy realm.
7/10
Words: Richard Bowes
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This is becoming absurd now. For admirers of Andy Bell's creations, the recent years have been an exciting journey, characterized by a consistent flow of releases throughout his