Graham Coxon - 'Happiness In Magazines' (Transcopic)
4/5
By: Toby L
We all knew he had it in him. After all, you can't be a founding, integral member of one of the UK's most important guitar-pop acts of the last quarter-century and not muster musical matter of an entirely fervent fare when gunning it alone.
So, Graham Coxon's fifth album to date, 'Happiness In Magazines', is a glory. Whereas prior work was (admirably) to-the-point, even bruised and jagged in its wickedly lo-fi production, his latest long-player is a savagely viable, infectious clutch of music which outlines Coxon's true penchant for unearthing not only a butcher-shop's worth of hooks, but a stand for straightforward, abrupt, honest poetry.
It begins sexily enough - the spluttering guitar-chokes and growling thud of 'Spectacular', and the effect is near-headf**king; just where did that voice come from? A snarly, snotty blurt that shivers from Coxon's once-thought frail lungs and palpitates a drenched-in-spit mic, drenched in echo. Come the indie-radio-rock of 'No Good Time' with its lazily harmonised chorus and London trendsetter-partay mocking, you're not entirely convinced that this is the same bashful boy-wonder who used to skulkingly stand stage-left of Gorilla-boy, Albarn.
Phew. 'Girl Done Good' proves us it's him - clumsy blues-rollicking with chunky bass-romps and some feedbacking guitar-noise to boot. But, hang on a sec - what's that which follows? Bloody hell. We weren't expecting the finest indie single of '04 - 'Bittersweet Bundle Of Misery' - to be penned by our own bespectacled, messy-haired Camdenite. Shezuz. But it is - all the strumming lament and cutesy-wootsy organ and hand-claps, damn it, are there - let alone a melting refrain that'll leave you sobbing like a wuss ('You're beautiful... You're really cool... I could never hope to set you free/Because you're my bittersweet bundle of misery...').
We're in pieces by now. Then he drops a heartbreaking, strings-laced ballad ('All Over Me'); the finest punk-rock top-40 botherer in an age ('Freakin' Out'); hurtling power-chorded, world-berating angst ('People Of The Earth'); chugging, throbbing light-heartedness ('Hopeless Friend'); Coral-y psychedelia ('Are You Ready'); sexpot silliness ('Bottom Bunk'); grappling, up-tempo catchiness ('Don't Be A Stranger'); and the ethereal starkness of a closing 'Ribbons & Leaves'. Sensational. Little more, little less.
Like we say: we all knew he had it in him. And, seemingly, thankfully, Graham did too.
Artists in this article: Graham Coxon
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