I posted a bit about The Auteurs a month ago, so I thought I’d share some songs from frontman Luke Haines‘ solo career. I’m doing this in anticipation of his new album, Off My Rocker At The Artschool Bop, which is set to be released this fall. Sure, Mr. Haines may be appearing to get older with less hair and more grey, but his charming and delightful songs remain the same. His twinkling melodies and vocal hooks have not changed at all for his solo career, which showcased such albums as The Oliver Twist Manifesto.
The four songs from 2001’s The Oliver Twist Manifesto are certainly different from his other projects. ‘Discomania’ is pure sexual swagger over a catchy and infectious bass until a catchy synth kicks in for the chorus. His suggestive Jarvis Cocker-like lyrics actually fit his snappy vocal style quite well, even when he raps (yes, raps!) in ‘The Oliver Twist Manifesto’. ‘Never Work’ is just charming and beautifully done as Haines delivers the most emotional song on the album. Funny how it is on the same album as ‘Discomania’ and all the rap ballads. ‘Death Of Sarah Lucas’ is an aggressively charged muse about murder. These songs are all great fun though, and his anticipated new album should be great.
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[audio:https://obscuresound.com/mp3/luke-dis.mp3]—————————
Luke Haines – The Oliver Twist Manifesto
[audio:https://obscuresound.com/mp3/luke-oli.mp3]—————————
[audio:https://obscuresound.com/mp3/luke-nev.mp3]—————————
Luke Haines – Death Of Sarah Lucas
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Thanks for these tracks,I’m off now to buy this CD.
[…] Personally, I find any project that Luke Haines is involved with to be very memorable. His new solo album, Off My Rocker at the Art School Bop was released this week and I was filled with excitement, as it is his first EP in over three years. Though he has released several compilations (including Das Capital, which are orchestral versions of his own songs) with various forms of content, Off My Rocker at the Art School Bop marks his second actual solo album (excluding Baader Meinhof, a separate solo project in 1996). Haines is known best as the frontman for the consistent The Auteurs, who released four outstanding albums during the 90s. The Auteurs are one of my favorite bands from the 90s, in stiff competition with Blur and Pulp. Haines’ work as Black Box Recorder (with Sarah Nixey and John Moore) produced some great songs as well, with Haines’ usually eerie but catchy melodies and Nixey’s light and enjoyably innocent vocals. Nixey and Moore actually got married in 2001 but divorced this year, leaving the band’s status inactive (and likely to stay that way). Regardless, Haines has been very active with shows, compilations, and solo albums. I posted about his first solo album, The Oliver Twist Manifesto, a few months ago (no, Haines doesn’t rap on the new album). Though Haines has dabbled in expressing his influences, from the glam of the Auteurs to Black Box Recorder’s form of trip-hop and synth-pop, his newest album uses a slice of everything. […]