There’s a certain sense of deja vu that’s unmistakably evident in Joe Jackson’s new album Fool, his 20th studio outing to date. While the sophisticated sheen of Night and Day is especially prominent in the proceedings, the instant allure heard in such songs as the beat-heavy title track and the snappy, upbeat offerings “Friend Better” and “Fabulously Absolute” glean references that reach back to the earlier additions to his discography, the unbridled and energetic expression of his “angry young man” slanted albums Look Sharp! and I’m the Man in particular.Mostly though, Jackson is still following the more eclectic precepts that made his later, more elegiac efforts key to his crossover to a more mainstream market. While Jackson used that newfound freedom of expression to delve deeply into a jazzier motif, soundtracks and abject experimentation, he mostly eschews those objectives here. The intensive drive of opening offering “Big Black Cloud” and the aforementioned frenzy of the title track aside, Jackson’s main intent seems to be to make music of a more melodic variety, purveying a late night, lounge-like atmosphere suitable to accompany cocktails and casual conversation.
Though it’s somewhat compact — only eight songs fill out the album — Jackson fares well with the proviso he does provide. While he’s repeatedly tried to replicate the formula he found on Night and Day in the decades since that record’s release, he seems to have succeeded admirably this time around by veering away from abject posing and pretension and aiming instead for a supple, sweetened essence. It’s fair to say that songs like the sunny “Dave,” the shimmering “Strange Land” and the album’s final send-off, the alluring “Alchemy,” recall the best of Jackson’s cosmopolitan style, and each succeeds exceptionally well as a result. No fooling, Fool ranks among the best works of Jackson’s judicious career, and that’s a solid recommendation in itself.
The post Joe Jackson’s 20th Studio LP ‘Fool’ Ranks Among The Strongest In The Composer’s Judicious Career (ALBUM REVIEW) appeared first on Glide Magazine.
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