MURDER AND PARLIAMENT

This may be a new band name to some, even if the concept isn't, but this is a project from none other than the quirky steampunk himself, Tom Slatter. He has been joined on this jolly jape by jazz bassist Alun Vaughan and Chrissie Caulfield on violin, and together they have conspired and perspired to bring us an incredibly varied instrumental album. For me it is full of Tom's sense of humour, even although there are no words to convey them, as he weaves melodies and counter melodies which evoke feelings of Poisoned Electrick Head and The Cardiacs while never sounding like either. We sometimes have delicate melodies, while at others it is all about intertwined electric guitars that somehow manage to make sense, even if some of the lines are distorted. They slow it down, they speed it up, and then decide to do it all over again!

I don't know why I am writing the review in this style, but it just seems right. I can imagine Matt Deacon from The Bob Lazar Project just itching to get involved with his labelmate, as they do sometimes follow similar musical paths, complex and sometimes avant garde, and always with passion and integrity. There are times when it is heads down and riff to the end, with guitar melody over the top, and Alun is adept at either providing a rock solid grounding or a counter melody all of his own, while the keyboard sounds often sound as if they belong to the Eighties as opposed to the current day. The first time I played this I managed to fall asleep and only awoke after it had finished (it was stupid o'clock in the morning and I was on a plane on the way to Australia), which seemed such a waste, especially when I started playing it again when I was slightly less comatose and realized just how much fun this is. At times straight rock, others almost RIO, others straightforward prog, there is so much going on in this album that there just isn't room for vocals.