ART ROCK
Chris Roberts samples the new releases on the prog/rock boundary.
Five years ago this column hailed Flowers And Ledges, from the criminally under-acclaimed Philip Kane, as a grand folly of heartfelt genius. Five years on he retur ns with Book Of Broken Things (Corrup t), which seems, rather gloriously, to have decid ed that more, not less, is more. A sumptuously produced gallery of songs, lurching from baroque ballads to subverted soul to rococo rock, it’s driven by a singer whose twisted, misanthropic worldview covers politics, Catholicism, education, dysfunctional relationships, alcoholism and an intimate chat with Leonard Cohen. Imagine if Scott Walker had “gone weird” while still delivering great tunes. Guests among all the strings, brass and passionate testifying include Boz Boorer, Steve ‘Japan’ Jansen and Fiona Brice. The world has caught up with Kane’s internal bonfire and might listen this time.