The press train arrived well ahead of us, citing everyone from Syd Barrett, Beck, Robert Wyatt, Smog, Hood, Pram, Animal Collective and early wire wizards like Raymond Scott as influences. Naturally we are talking bedroom recordings; self-played, self-produced, self-mutilated and self-absorbed. That’s not a bad thing, of course, but there is a point at which scratchy, hand-to-mouth performances brought about by banging away on instruments that rarely see the light of day outside of museums and children’s nurseries, collapses into self-indulgence. In a manner that’s not unlike your soiled and scruffy three-year old nephew shoving a randomly scribbled picture under your nose and loitering for praise, self-taught instrumentalist Sam Jones cobbles presents a confused and eclectic mix of curious noises, impractical rhythms and unfinished melodies. It’s fascinating enough, charming even, but at fifteen tracks, Sam’s charity shop appeal and his clumsy affectations are likely to tire even the most patient of listeners. When Jones cares to anchor his clearly determined madness around basic song structures as he does on ‘Before Too Long’ the results are pleasing: a lazy Bossa groove, a rubbery dub-bass and a chorus of odd noises provide a delightful basis for a tale characterised by passing cars, staying up late and kipping on the floor. Beck achieved something similar with ‘Trpoicalia’ but this time it’s a bit like the whole thing has been unscrewed and put back together by a group of Rhesus monkeys.
Still attracted by manualess and sometimes malfunctioning instruments, the Mule has since relocated to Australia where he can be found in boiler rooms and broom-cupboards and loosening no end of strings.
If cheerful ‘balky’ mavericks like Adem and Minotaur Shock rock your world, then there’s few more balky than this.
Suggested downloads:
’A Moth Like A Woodchip’ ~ Like James Yorkston on a morphine trip and gaffer-taped to a copycat machine.
‘Tell Me Something Sweet’ ~ Stoner surf lullaby.
‘THE LENGTH OF THE RAIL’ RELEASED MARCH 16TH 2009