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At last the Son of God has turned up in a Pulp song. He got a shout-out of sorts in their 1998 album This Is Hardcore, when Jarvis Cocker sang: “I am not Jesus, though I have the same initials.” But now, as the Sheffield band release their first album in 24 years, the other JC turns up in person.
He appears in the song “Slow Jam”, commiserating with Jarvis about a failing relationship. “Jesus said, ‘I feel your pain’,” the singer intones. The Messiah doesn’t have much more to offer than that, and Jarvis — whose voice has got lower and thicker over time — isn’t on top form either. The song’s juxtaposition of religion and sex has a Leonard Cohen-esque slant, but the lyrics lack the singer’s usual élan. The encounter between the two JCs proves a damp squib.
So, alas, does Pulp’s comeback album. More was inspired by the band debuting a new song called “Hymn of the North” while touring the reunion circuit. According to Cocker: “That seemed to open the floodgates.” It was recorded in just three weeks. Despite this rapid dispatch, the results have a laborious feel, as though pushed and prodded into workable shape.
More is dedicated to bassist Steve Mackey, who died in 2023, just before the start of the band’s reunion tour. Original guitarist Russell Senior is absent. Cocker is joined by drummer Nick Banks, keyboardist Candida Doyle and guitarist Mark Webber. This cobbled-together set-up is supplemented by other hands. A couple of tracks, including “Slow Jam”, were developed by Cocker’s band Jarv Is, whose violinist Emma Smith and bassist Andrew McKinney have also transferred over. Lead single “Spike Island”, one of the better efforts, was composed by Jason Buckle of Cocker-affiliated outfit, All Seeing I.
The 11 songs share themes but lack chemistry. “Grown Ups” tackles ageing, a frequent topic in Cocker’s writing, but it’s ill-served by haphazard shifts in lyrical focus and a dated indie chug. “Got to Have Love” is a thin disco-rock anthem in which Britpop’s smartest lyricist limits himself to the trite observation that love is all. “Hymn of the North” is an overcooked orchestral number that can’t decide whether northern England is somewhere to leave or return to. “A Sunset”, co-written by Richard Hawley, layers on the sentimentality so tweely as to resemble a children’s song. I wish I could say otherwise, but Pulp’s second coming is a disappointment.
★★☆☆☆
‘More’ is released by Rough Trade
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