The 82-year-old Welsh veteran, originally of The Velvet Underground, shows no slowing, and following 2023’s Mercy, releases another burst of lockdown creativity with an 18th studio LP of intricate, thoughtful, cleverly collaged songs. Synths, rolling rhythms, loops, gentle voice and instrumental effects and dreamlike vocals interweave on many distictive, innovative tracks, the tone set on the playful opener God Made Me Do It (Don’t Ask Me Again). Having lived in the States for decades, he still feels a draw towards affection for the nation of his birth in the rather beautiful, catch Davies and Wales, a place he at times regrets leaving behind, even though it was New York that gave him his big break: “And avoid all the mistakes we made when we were younger, we don’t care who we hurt on the way up.” How We See The Light is a standout with a distinct, strong chorus on a song that muses on how even the painful end of a relationship can open up something new. With Cale it’s always about moving on. Calling You Out is slow, beautifully dreamlike and woozy, but less so that the surprisingly mellow I’m Angry. Shark-Shark feels like classic Velvet Underground with a low-level crunchy guitars and strings summoning a vintage roaring noise and simple, rolling rhythm. He also take a shot at the current political climate on Company Commander (“the rightwingers burning their libraries down”) with it’s talky vocals, starkly disturbing, jagged guitars, industrial beats, keyboard chords and triangle jangles, while Setting Fires is dark reflection on climate change. Still able to surprise and innovate, he remains one of the most original figures in music, a sturdy survivor. Long may he continue. Out on Domino.
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