A lot has changed since Black Grape released their last LP, Voodoo pop. Shaun Ryder was diagnosed with ADHD in 2020 and lost his brother Paul, and Kermit (Paul Leveridge) lost his father just days before the duo headed to the Spanish mountains of Granada with producer Youth to record this album.
However, the duo's creative process remains unchanged, “We had a drink, banged our heads and moved on… (and) laughed a lot.”
The first album, “Button Eyes”, is impressive, featuring relaxed and sophisticated Latin and Cuban sounds with saxophone while Ryder blunders, “I find it funny that I can't sing…” The track also has a gangster element to it, as if there is some unconscious link to Carlos the Jackal. “Button Eyes” segues into “Dirt,” which blends the Manchester-based Black Grape sound with hip-hop amidst Spaghetti Western harmonica.
Much of orange head Pays homage to the '90s club scene. For example, Deee-Lite's infectiousness is present from the beginning of “Panda,” in which he also sees Shaun reflect on his mortality with these deft lyrics: “We were aging like the Rolling Stones”. “Self Harm” also honors the nineties but is closer to the It's cool when you're straight… Yeah, orthodoxy. “Quincy” mixes sounds from the '90s with those from the '60s.
The catchiest songs on this LP include “Milk” and “Pimp Wars.” The first dominates the bass with a hypnotic rhythm that imposes the dance. The latter oozes funk brilliance with a perfect union of jazz arrangements and organs, and as on opener “Button Eyes”, the feeling that a heist is about to be committed.
From the catchiest comes the standout track, “In the Ground,” almost seven minutes long, which is about the duels the duo recently had. The quick start is reminiscent of a catchy hip-hop anthem juxtaposed with a melodica; The lyrics detail challenging relationships. The listen is intended to be unnerving, especially with the closing psychedelic and ethereal strings, as was the process of creating this song. “Sex on the Beach” closes the album with the lyrics “I will tie you up and put you in my zoo” Amid rock and reggae beats along with sounds of barking dogs, it's real and heavy.
Black Grape claim to be “vegetarian, very PC people now” who intend to celebrate the anniversaries of their previous LPs with “slices of cake” instead of heroin. While this change is welcome and positive, it's a relief that their creative songwriting process hasn't changed, allowing Shaun and Kermit to create an LP that pays homage to the '90s while also looking to the future.
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