Malcolm Middleton’s new LP arrived ahead of schedule in the post yesterday and I thought I better write this up before my first impressions are gone for good. Because although first thoughts are that ‘Waxing Gibbous’ is a very odd album indeed, repeated listens are proving that it is a rewarding one as well.

The fact that WG was apparently not written as an MM album but rather as songs to be sung by other people may go some way to explaining the dizzying array of styles on display within the 12 tracks. Now his previous LPs have covered a lot of ground so diversity isn’t anything new but this time out he has paid scant regard to any notion of coherence on the record.

Indeed it goes further than a slightly disorientating collection of songs – Malky even switches genres mid-song on several occasions such as on ‘Kiss At The Station’ which starts off as a slightly doomy indie rocker – then confounds those expectations by injecting a calypso section midway through. Seriously.

‘Love On The Run’ meanwhile is a stew of mid 80’s power chords and keyboards, sensitive piano ballad and celtic rock. So if you’re still misguided enough to think that MM = miserabilist acoustica then WG should disabuse you of that notion once and for all.

There’s also something gloriously over the top about the arrangements with what seems to have been a concerted effort to extend the songs for as long as possible (half the 12 songs are over 5 minutes long). This is not a record lacking in ambition.

Despite the fact there are some great songs on here (single ‘Red Travellin’ Socks’, ‘Shadows’ and ‘Box and Knife’ readily spring to mind) initially I wasn’t that convinced it worked as a whole. There are snatches of songs which sound very similar to previous MM songs ( I can hear bits of ‘Up Late at Night Again’, ‘Follow Robin Down’ and ‘Blue Plastic Bags at different times) but more importantly the diversity gave the impression that the record is seriously patchy.

And yet after 4 or 5 plays I find myself drawn back to the LP again and again with other songs emerging into prominence. Which really just goes to confirm that previous records have taken time to reveal themselves fully and ‘Waxing Gibbous’ looks like it’s going to follow in that tradition.

A song from the record:

Malcolm Middleton – Box & Knife (from ‘Waxing Gibbous’)

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