Pulp’s Spike Island: Worth the Wait

It has been a minute since the last Pulp record…like 24 years. Jarvis Cocker and the crew are back with the album More. The question is, what left does Pulp have to say? Well, if Spike Island is anything to go by…quite a lot.

Musically, Spike Island is nestled squarely in the Brit Pop genre it helped pioneer back in the 90s. You get classic guitar screeches, tight synth, snappy percussion and classic 90s riffs. Having said that, this is a very tight band with excellent production value, so this is a far more heightened version of the 90s DIY style. Moreover, the synth gives the track a freshness and texture that really modernises the sound. Above all else, it is great to hear a band at its skilful peak on full display.

Cocker still has his subversive punk vibe and uses it to full effect. Singing about being disillusioned with modern society, questioning the movements he once followed and coming to the realisation that his mundane problems are nothing compared to the cosmic truth of the universe. Cocker’s excellent turn of phrase is on full display “I was wrestling with a coat hanger and guess who won.” But more interesting to me is his vocal. The urgency behind his vocal is gripping. I love the passion and emotion behind his vocal and the sense that he has a truth he needs to get out. The last 24 years have not dampened Cocker’s fire, which is amazing.

It’s tough to put out a record after such a long time away without it feeling like a cash grab….I’m looking at you ABBA. Bands who have succeeded like The Chicks, Tears for Fears, The Cure and Public Enemy (which was just a single, but had us wanting more) all have had something to say. That is, putting out a record was not about money, but about art. Pulp follows that formula and put out something that feels like they have not missed a step.

Listen to Spike Island