Hardly the most stable of characters, Jason Pierce's decision to sack Mike Mooney, Sean Cook and Damon Reece from Spiritualized last year came as no great surprise.
What is far more intriguing is the trio's return to the fray, as the frantically named Lupine Howl. Still licking their wounds after their ejection from Planet Spaceman, this is a burgeoning fusion of overburdened funk, driven by a R&B backbeat, voodoo mantra chanting, mumbled vocals and a claustrophobic feeling of swamps. Naturally.
By the close, as the track plunges into a bloodthirsty vacuum of flailing, freeform adventure, the Black Magic has become truly hypnotic. Dramatically different from anything Spiriualized have ever produced, 'Vaporizer' suggests Lupine Howl have got a spectacular album gestating in their ego-free minds. Not bad for a backing band.
