Lemon Jelly - LemonJelly.Ky
(XL)
Tell me if this strategy sounds familiar. Unknown English band self-releases
three EPs of quaintly nostalgic pop laden with samples and strings, attracts
excellent notices in the weeklies, and soon finds itself in the lovin' arms
of the Prodigy's XL label. Before you can blurt "Badly Drawn Boy" (or "Beta
Band," for that matter), meet Lemon Jelly, the latest act to make it once
around the block. But Lemon Jelly's Nick Franglen and Fred Deakin are more
KLF than BDB, sharing a line in deadpan parody--Rutles rather than Beatles,
if you will--and hypnotic craft. LemonJelly.Ky (the duo struck up a deal
with the Cayman Islands to share the ".Ky" WWW extension) collects the trio
of limited-edition 10"s that announced Lemon Jelly's arrival. Each track
lifts loops from some forgotten vinyl artifact--a Nana Mouskouri platter, a
self-help or instructional record--and massages it into a squishy, colorful
groove. On the "Bath" EP, Burt Kaempfert's "Tahitian Sunset" and a kitschy
orchestration of "Witchita Lineman" become wistful psychedelectronica motifs
for "In the Bath" and "A Tune for Jack," the latter also incorporating a
cool swatch of Ken Nordine. 1999's "Yellow" EP offers "His Majesty King
Raam," Danny Elfman-does-Disney-on-the-dancefloor whimsy jazzed up with
Chick Corea-n piano passages. Better yet, the very Beta Band-like "The
Staunton Lick" turns a folk-guitar lesson into a sweet hoe-down, with vibes
and trumpet accompaniment thrown in for good, funky measure. Add the ethnic
forgeries and Afro-Cuban fantasies of "Homage to Patagonia"--think Henry
Mancini on world safari--and you have Lemon Jelly's strongest statement.
The "Midnight" EP builds on the polyrhythmic "Patagonia" with even plusher
synth textures and more vivid scratchwork. "Kneel Before Your God" takes an
unexpected detour through Pharoah Sanders' Africa, while "Come" extends the
fuzzy-wuzzy poptronics of Boards of Canada and their ilk with a totally
unexpected harmonica solo. Graphic wizard Deakin's bright, bubbly art design
is a perfect complement for the music's brand-new-you're-retro feel. A fine
package, inside and out.
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