Barry Adamson - Back To The Cat (Album)
Barry Adamson is one cool cat. Some-time bassist for The Bad Seeds, prolific soundtrack contributor and stand-out stand alone artist, this Mancunian must have little time to breathe, let alone sleep, and thus comes Back To The Cat, the perfect late-night jazz album that’s sure to keep you up burning the midnight oil and tripping the light fantastic.
At times sounding like a James Bond soundtrack, this, his ninth full-length studio album and the second to be released by his own production company Central Control International, is an ambitious melding of jazz, blues and 60’s swing. At times you can hear the Nick Cave influences in his vocals, particularly on tracks like Spend A Little Time and I Could Love You. At others, his previous collaborations with Jarvis Cocker shine through, particularly in the Pulp-esque The Beaten Side Of Town and Straight ‘til Sunrise, which is reminiscent of Set The Controls To The Heart of the Pelvis from Adamson’s 1996 album Oedipus Schmoedipus. Shadow of Death Hotel is dripping with 007, and you half-expect Shirley Bassey to pop up crooning a line or two.
A short ten tracks, the album runs for just over 45 minutes, but packs enough punch to box well above it’s weight. Check this out if you love a smoothe modern jazz that is a bit more challenging than your Mikas and Jamie Callums. Expect big-band brassiness to clash with slow walking bass lines, but don’t expect it to be along the lines of a Costello/Bacharach collaboration. This is edgier, without being too experimental to alienate. Check it out and challenge your idea of jazz – and get to know Barry Adamson, an incredibly prolific artist who has managed to fly below the radar. If you love music and don’t know this guy, you’ve been cheated. Redemption is at hand though, and comes in the form of this great album.
