Jape - 'Ritual' (V2) Releasec 09/06/08

 

At his best when allowing the dance-floor to inform his musicianship such as the stomp-funk hooks of ‘I Was A Man’ and the sequencer-driven serotonin rush of ‘Graveyard’, the latter a cracking song of nocturnal nudity in hidden corners of the city, Jape singing - “…the police are gonna catch us if we’re not discrete…” among the kisses in the graveyard. ‘Christopher And Anthony’ too makes for a catchy number with a bubbly tune of effervescent beats and programming revealing an underlying wit and  irreverence - “…stick religion up your blasphemy…”. ‘Streetwise’, meanwhile, tells of miscreant behavior with a Prefab Sprout pop feel, and the jubilant ‘Apple In An Orchard’ could well have New Orders' Barney jumping about like a loon.

 

A quieter tone of intimacy and tenderness is couched on ‘At The Heart Of All Of This Strangeness’ which looks at letting go and finds a more honest expression without artifice or masks, reflected in the verses - “…let’s take another stroll/ where the kids are getting out of their minds…you’re not a wave/ you’re part of an ocean…”. Amidst the musical highlights, moments such as ‘Phil Lynott’ crash somewhat as a tribute is paid to the Thin Lizzy front-man from his hometown  who can still cause a swoon with a wink of the eye to the front row,  and ‘Strike Me Down’ bears on down with an easily forgettable tune.

 

Less of a class clown than we might like to think, ‘Ritual’ shows how Jape’s strengths lie in letting his programming loose, allowing his pop ascetics and an ear for a good catchy tune to hold the listener - closer ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ is a case in point, melding chiming bell-like synth harmonies to a simple song like Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark never happened, yet the final feeling is that it’s a shame there's nothing to match the joy and mockery of ‘Floating’, or that versions thereof aren’t to be found from this savory (marmity) release.