Perry Farrell has always been a genre-straddling, zeitgeist-hugging kind of fellow. So it comes as little surprise that his first solo album proper finds him embracing what has become known as "electronica". More specifically, he's gone a bit drum & bass.
The dexterous basslines that characterised Jane's Addiction and Porno For Pyros are still there but now they're beneath the drum patterns with Farrell's vocals. 'Happy Birthday Jubilee' takes these elements to produce a typical Farrell-erian rocker with him carousing the chorus.
'Did You Forget' adds some dirty guitar to the mix, while 'Shekina' has a plaintive acoustic beginning, then lifts off on a gentle electronic plane before the drum track returns. 'Say Something' echoes and pulses, with Farrell's usual howl more reflective and stark and, at times, unrecognisable as his, while disembodied female voices float around him.
The dubby 'King Z' could have easily fitted in on the Gorillaz album, 'Admit I' bounds along on a hip-hop beat, punctuated by computer burbles, harmonica and brass stabs. The album ends with a reprise of the first track, bringing it neatly full circle, as Farrell's voice echoes off into the distance.
Whatever, despite the dominance of modern technology, this still an album that adheres to the blueprint Farrell has laid down in his previous two outfits. More importantly, it moves into new musical territory and, coupled with his brilliantly versatile voice, makes 'Song Yet To Be Sung' a triumphant return for the latter-day chameleon of rock.
