Description
Has there been a busier musician over the last two years A more prolific artist More creative More heroicTim Burgess ndash as selfeffacing a band leader, solo star, label runner, repeat memoirist and allround caffeinated cando kid as yoursquoll find ndash would certainly shrink from the latter accolade. ldquoA herordquo hersquod likely mutter with a shake of his boyish mop. ldquoFor playing some recordsrdquo Yes, Tim, we would say that. And not just because with the May 2020, midlockdown appearance ofnbspI Love The New Sky,nbsphis fifth solo album, he undauntedly pushed on with releasing an album that brought muchneeded sunshine to a world enveloped in gloom.Over the course of the first year of the pandemic, Timrsquos Twitter Listening Parties were a lifeline to many. At a time when the world shut down, we all retreated indoors, alone, and cancelled gigs were the least of our worries, the North Country Boyrsquos idea of utilising social media to unite us round a digital turntable was inspired. Meanwhile, Burgess was writing. And writing. And writing. From September 2020 to summer 2021, ideas poured out of Burgess. Hersquod been encouraged by Simon Raymonde, boss of his record label Bella Union notndash and, of course, a former Cocteau Twin. He applied a musicianrsquos logic if you canrsquot tour your last album, write a new one. Then, when you can tour again, yoursquoll have two albumsrsquo worth of songs to play.Well, now, arguably, Burgess has three albumsrsquo worth of songs to perform live.nbspTypical Musicnbspis a 22track double, a blockbuster set of songs that are as expansive and diverse as they are rich. As fun as they are funky. That embrace heartache and love. That run the gamut, from ABBA in the shape of guest vocalist Pearl Charles, whose own brilliantnbspMagic Mirrornbspalbum is the sound of the magic Swedes doin disco to Zappa freeform studio experimentation is go.
