Simon Bookish – 'Trainwreck/ Raincheck' (Use Your Teeth) Released 20/08/07

…is quite painful to listen to in places. Not in a “God, these lyrics are so personal and revealing I don’t quite feel comfortable listening to this” kind of way. More in a “for fuck’s sake, my ear’s are bleeding and my brain is melting out of said ears” kind of way. Opening track ‘Theme (Mercator Projection)’ buzzes, stabs and cracks like a million shards of glass being shot out of a blunderbuss drenched in vinegar and jabbed at an uncomfortable angle into your brain. While that might sound ‘cool’ and ‘edgy’ it is far from enjoyable you can be assured. There is a hint of humour on ‘Crab Lawn’ as Bookish’s spoken word approach sees him ramble on about lice, crabs and other such nonsense, but the bleeps, whirrs and piercing clicks do too good a job of gnawing away at your head to cut him any slack.

The trick is repeated on ‘Dwarf Documentary’ where more claptrap is spouted – George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld are teamed with duck shit this time to thoroughly bewilder and alienate the listener. Deep huh? Admittedly the album gets a lot more soothing and less intrusive as it reaches its central act. ‘En Bateau’ is actually quite beautiful and Simon stops wanking over the sound of his own voice enough to sound a bit like Bowie if he’d got bang into electronica. The next tune is the impressive but mildly terrifying ‘Translation #78’. Ironically the only solace and comfort on this track comes from Bookish’s voice…which serves as a welcome beacon in a dark, futuristic landscape.

Sadly this proves to be the only few minutes you don’t want to flap his voice away from your ears like an irritating and scorned hornet. Unfortunately, this mid-disc promise doesn’t last and the incomprehensible art-babble returns with a vengeance on the closing few tracks. Wailing, yelping, whispering and hurting innocent instruments in equal measures, he sounds like a pretentious, indulgent installation gone wrong. ‘Arborescences’ competes with ‘Houseboats’ for title of worst offender, but closer ‘Long Haul’ takes the biscuit as far as unnecessary and drawn out bad noise goes. Rant aside; there is of course the possibility that this rather simple reviewer is missing a slice of delicious irony.

Bookish may be playing a different game; 'Trainwreck/Raincheck' could be a scathing swipe at the banality, insignificance and shallowness of pop music and modern art - like Italian artist Piero Manzoni, who sold shit in stylishly designed tins (who had the last laugh there?) Bookish could be making the point that people will buy absolutely anything if it’s packaged properly - the CD cover is quite pretty to be fair. Maybe, maybe not…Fingers crossed for his sake though…eh?