Robert Wyatt – Comicopera

Wyatt’s artfully disorganised album is divided into three acts-Lost in the Noise/ the Here and the Now/ Away with the Fairies- which swerve manically from genre to genre. The vocals on the melodramatic opener -‘Stay Tuned’- are reminiscent of Zero Seven, while rough electronica (‘Out of the Blue’) is preceded by Scarborough Fair-era Simon and Garfunkel (‘A Beautiful Peace’). The final act of the album is more cohesive, and chooses to focus on pared-down world music, with echoes of earlier tracks weaving their way back in (‘Fragment’).  It shouldn’t work, but it does. This is due, perhaps, to the overwhelming array of producers/collaborators behind the record. Brian Eno (who is credited with playing the ‘Enotron’), Paul Weller and Phil Manzanera all feature on the album in some shape or form. Had this record been made by a musician with less conviction, it would have sounded contrived. Thankfully, Wyatt’s distinctive vocal range, and musical fearlessness combine to make Comicopera a challenging, and rewarding diversion.