Robert Wyatt – Shleep
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Label: Thirsty Ear Records
Aside from the fact that Robert Wyatt was once the singer in the seminal band Soft Machine, his music represented to me merely a vague, often alluded to, pop reference. But if you read enough of the right music reviews you can begin to figure out what you’re likely to love. “Shleep,” the first Wyatt solo record in years, was exactly what it was billed to be: jazzy, spiritual, timeless, etc. Wyatt has even been regarded by Galaxie 500 / Damon & Naomi brainchild Damon Krukowski as the most beautiful vocalist in the Northern Hemisphere (I can’t remember who he said won the prize in the southern hemi).
After countless listenings it is safe to say that “Shleep” is truly the masterpiece people say it is. Part free jazz, part bright English folk, part bizarre musical experimentation, Robert Wyatt has managed to piece together a pastiche of wonderful songwriting and ecclectic instrummentalism. Having also managed to assemble a cast of musical legacies such as Paul Weller and Brian Eno to help him record “Shleep,” there exists a wonderful balance between the Wyatt’s own vocal lyrical purity and the brilliant waves of brass, string, and guitar orchestrated by his talented friends.
Released on Henry Rollin’s “Thirsty Ear” label, “Shleep” will hopefully usher in a whole new audience of fans that will, no doubt, be thrilled to rush out and find the other four earlier Wyatt albums to be rereleased by Thirsy Ear over the next few months. There is something so completely satisfying about discovering an older musician whose music is still so vital and relevant amid the fad oriented commercial rock market. Like fellow journeymen English songwriters Donovan, Paul Weller, and Robyn Hitchcock, Wyatt’s music defies classification. It is both uniquely inspired and ultimately timeless. There is a sophistication and purity to his gentle vocals and jazz oriented accompaniment that allows him to mesmerize a listener into happy submission.
