It's the time-honoured tradition for hot underground properties to be poached by bigger labels, of course, but you always felt a sojourn with the majors was something of a compromise where Kenny Anderson (aka KING CREOSOTE) was concerned.
Certainly his last album 'Bombshell' (though fairly enthusiastically reviewed by this hack at the time) was lacking in a little sparkle, so it's probably for the best that Kenny has returned safely to the bosom of the Indies with the ever-vigilant Domino for his defiant-sounding new album 'Flick The V's.'
Much has already been made of KC's new single 'Coast On By' and there's no denying it's one of its' parent album's major selling points. Featuring production input from ex-Beta Band man Steve Mason, it's undeniably the most catchy and immediate moment here, with an infections, Motown-style beat, a great, nagging arrangement and an absolute doozy of a chorus. It's most definitely the stuff and quite possibly Kenny's best stab at across-the-board appeal yet, however (un)easily the idea of that may sit with him.
Although 'Coast On By' head and shoulders above the rest in terms of those elusive potential hits, the good news is that consistency is surely the watchword where the rest of 'Flick The V's' is concerned too. It's not especially ground-breaking, in the sense that the formula's still basically Kenny's slightly doleful, lugubrious brand of indie pop etched with borders of electronica and/ or ambient noise, but it's never less than compelling and usually delivered in an unfeasible, but instantly recognisable falsetto by our unlikely hero.
It's a curious recipe for success, but there's no denying the fact it works like a dream much of the time. Opener 'No-One Had It Better' yawns into view with blips and loops, but soon bursts boldly into life, recalling New Order's uplifting, minor-key melancholy en route. The magnificently-titled 'Two Frocks At A Wedding' swings by like a summer breeze before sliding into a quasi-psychedelic electro fade and the equally- inspired 'Camels Swapped For Wives' pits loping indie-folk against lazy, trip-hop drums, dirge-y accordions and an eminently passionate use of the 'F' word.
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OK, there's the occasional wayward excursion such as the meandering 'Nothing Rings True' or the unlikely, er, ambient folk ballad that is 'Fell An Ox', but canny Kenny still has the gorgeously intimate 'Curtain Craft' and the swaggering, big-budget finale of 'Saw Circular Process' in reserve to stave off a rainy day. The latter may boast a title sounding like it was nicked from Mark.E.Smith's notebook, but it's an exercise in purpose and scope with strings (literally) attached which shows just how talented young Mr. Anderson can be when he really puts his mind to it.
'Flick The V's', then, isn't really as pointed a riposte as its' title might suggest. Its' author, after all, pretty much went his own way even during his stint with the 679 label. However, a feeling of artistic freedom surely pervades and it's exhilarating to catch it full on. King Creosote continues to hold court, it seems.
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