Jarvis Cocker is back. And back at the top of his game. About time. After all, it’s now been about a decade since the last Pulp reunion, and since the band’s former frontman released his last rock-oriented solo album. Thankfully, Cocker more than makes up for lost time with his new sort-of eponymous band and, more crucially, his best album since the glory days of Pulp. Beyond the Pale lets the iconoclastic, eccentric frontman stretch his legs on a shape-shifting slate of freewheeling indie-rock, dark psychedelia, afterparty disco, edgy synth-rock, grim Leonard Cohenesque ballady and more — all of which effectively and seductively showcase his hazy croon and a slate of sharply probing, dryly witty and thoughtfully smart lyrics about everything from evolution and environmentalism to sitting alone listening to house music. Simultaneously artful and ambitious, Beyond the Pale is beyond compelling. And not a moment too soon.
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Jarv Is… are pleased to announce their debut album Beyond the Pale. This is the first original music from Jarvis Cocker since the Further Complications album in 2009. Jarv Is… a band featuring Jarvis Cocker (vocals, guitar, percussion), Serafina Steer (harp, keyboards, vocals), Emma Smith (violin, guitar vocals), Andrew McKinney (bass, vocals), Jason Buckle (synthesiser & electronic treatments) & Adam Betts (drums, percussion, vocals). Jarv Is… formed to play a show at the Sigur Ros Norður og Niður festival in Iceland at the very end of 2017. Jarv Is… was conceived as a way of writing songs in collaboration with an audience. As the material they were playing was in a state of flux the band decided to record their live shows so that they could monitor how the songs were developing. After an appearance at the Desert Daze festival in California, Geoff Barrow (Portishead, Beak>) suggested that these recordings could be used as the basis for an album. Overdubs & vocals were added at Narcissus Studios in Neasden, London. Post-production work took place at Jason Buckle’s Place du Big Boss studio in Raynes Park, London. The album was mixed by Craig Silvey at Toast Studios in West London. Jarv Is… an ongoing live experience because life is an ongoing live experience. Or, to put it another way: THIS IS NOT A LIVE ALBUM – it’s an ALIVE ALBUM.”
