Beyond the Pale

The work of a man kitted out with a full array of emotional surveillance equipment, its expansive space-rock and cosmic lyrics zooming in and out on humanity in all its rich chaos. [Jun 2020, p.92]

Pushing nearly 30 years in the game, JARV IS... still an absolute one-of-a-kind.

This record - Cocker's finest work since This Is Hardcore, maybe - marks the arrival of an adventurous collective who might just be getting warmed up. [Aug 2020, p.26]

The result is something of a quiet renaissance for him, proof that he can still weave a compelling, daring blend of trash and high art.

Anyone pining for the arch twig-insect dandy of old, preening over driving beats and gyrating to wayward early electronics, will find much to love on this album.

It pulses with synths and electronic soundscapes overlaid by harp and violin, as if the early, experimental Pulp re-emerged as an electro Velvet Underground.

his is a mid-career highlight from one of the finest lyricists and sonic set-dressers this country has produced. It’s a little bit silly, a little bit raunchy and a whole lot of fun. ... Simply put, JARV IS… a winner.

JARV… IS grapple with fresh possibilities in a wry, recognisable, but incredibly fresh way.

An attractive ad hoc vibe pervades these seven longish songs, partially recorded live: a DIY futurism, all tinfoil and stick-backed plastic, that harks back to Pulp's early '90s. [Jun 2020, p.92]

This is arguably Cocker’s best work since Pulp’s 1998 comedown record ‘This Is Hardcore’ and certainly a greatly promising start to his new chapter. Cocker remains in an entirely different class.

Cocker is fronting an experimental pop group and writing songs that even his most ardent loyalists will have to sit with. There may not be any witty couplets to live your life by on Beyond the Pale, but there is a lot to love.

None of this breaks musical barriers. Still, Cocker’s assimilation of some obvious influences noted above hits a sweet spot that makes Beyond the Pale, some of which was apparently recorded live then enhanced with overdubs, impressive, often moving and hypnotic. Hopefully he can follow it up faster than the time it took to get here.

Despite its slightly misfiring concept, Beyond The Pale remains an enjoyable hour spent inside the world of one of Britain’s most revered songwriters—even if you're never quite sure what your host was meant to be showing you.