SHORT BREAK

Robert Wyatt was always fond of the ep format, and this 20 minute curio would fit nicely into an updated version of his eps box set. The 5 tracks were recorded at on a 4 track at home in 1992 and were released in the gap between Dondestan and Shleep. The 5 pieces are built around piano and mostly wordless vocals, with cymbals, keyboards and rudimentary percussion giving some added texture. Musically it has more in common with Old Rottenhat and Dondestan than the albums from Shleep onwards, but it's also of a piece with the 1981 Radio Experiment and End of an Ear. For the most part it feels like demos that are waiting for some lyrics and further instrumental contributions (apart from the closing track, Unmasked) but Robert Wyatt is an artist whose musical sketches are still worth a listen.

It's pleasant background for a cup of tea on a wet Wednesday afternoon, but distinctly non essential. If you're a Robert Wyatt aficionado it's worth picking up (the CD has some childhood photos and a short essay by the man himself); if you're new to the wheelchairman, start with Rock Bottom or Shleep.