Britpop guitar maestro Graham Coxon is back (albeit without Damon and co), and his latest album is following the same pattern as his previous solo albums. His ‘lo-fi indie’ style has been expanded, with the man himself saying that A+E is his ‘dance album’. By this we think he means he has discovered the benefits of a drum machine, rather than him expecting it to fill dance floors worldwide. However, the inclusion of the drum machine and various repeating synth lines create a new dimension and make A+E Coxon’s finest and most imaginative solo piece.
It isn’t all new from Coxon, as he still remains an avid lover of the use of guitar feedback and distortion to create innovative and violent sounds – almost every track on the album contains some strange twist or new innovation that leaves the listener constantly guessing what he’s going to do next. The unorthodox bass and feedback sounds are similar to many records by Joy Division, and the way Coxon’s voice is almost drowned out by the music in The Truth is similar to what happened to Ian Curtis’ voice on many of the Manchester legends’ early tracks, while Seven Naked Valleys is when his voice sounds most similar to a certain Damon Albarn. Another genre touched on by the Britpop master on this album is psychedelica – this is most noticeable on Bah Singer, and at certain other points on the album when the music delves into a spiral of guitar feedback and distortion. Album closer Ooh, Yeh Yeh is an acoustic ballad, but Coxon can’t resist the temptation to throw strange in synth sounds and the sort of blips that make it sound like a hidden track from the electronic Blur album 13.
A+E is a terrific effort by the man Noel Gallagher called ‘the finest guitarist of his generation’, and the way Coxon has tried to broaden his musical horizons without affecting the quality of music is genius. It also proves that Coxon doesn’t need Damon, Alex and Dave to create interesting new sounds, and leaves us in the hope that the descendants of Blur will all remain brilliantly bizarre.
