MATCHING MOLE

Robert Wyatt fused his energy directly into a new act after his unceremonious sacking from the Soft Machine, the band he was a founding member of. Matching Mole is a curious album that allows Wyatt the freedom to sing his heart out about nothing, which to be fair is his idiosyncratic style and one loved by many. Wyatt teamed up with his fellow Canterbury riend and former Caravan member David Sinclair who provides keyboards, with Phil Miller on guitar and Bill MacCormick on bass. The album itself comes across as a leaderless show where the songs tend to run into semi jazz/avante garde/psyche rambling of chaotic jams and noise, while for the most part Wyatt's gift as writing tend to border between genius and bollocks, "O Caroline" is pure sentimentality and it gets better on the "Instant Pussy" (and its twin "Instant Kitten"), but the album is incredibly inconsistent, another typical Wyatt trait. But to give Matching Mole their dues they produce an original and inimitable set on their debut effort. Let it grow on you for best, if still varied, results.