UNKLE - End Titles... Stories For Film

UNKLE - End Titles…Stories For Film - album review

I should start by saying James Lavelle, the main man and constant throughout the various releases by UNKLE starts the accompanying album notes by stating that this isn’t actually the new album by UNKLE but simply a collection of “pieces of music” recorded over the two years since the release of War Stories.

However dressed, End Titles… Stories For Film is the latest album release by UNKLE, and as always there are plenty of collaborations with a variety of artists which give every UNKLE release a wide spectrum of sounds and inbound influences.

When Lavelle and DJ Shadow released the debut UNKLE album, Psyence Fiction, it was refreshing to hear an album produced with a selection of vocals by artists from the world of rock, and End Titles is no different.  Though we have got used to the concept, it still makes for interesting listening when UNKLE team up with the likes of Queen Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme on Nocturnal and Clayhill’s Gavin Clark on Blade In The Back and Heaven.

If anything, I was surprised by the album’s lack of ‘dance’ beats or rhythms.  James Lavelle is still very active recording remixes and playing live DJ sets as UNKLEsounds but End Titles includes nothing that would suggest either.  Instead the tracks err towards more traditional soft rock with instrumental tracks offering welcome breaks.

Reading mixed reviews for the album I am reminded of an introduction by director of The Exorcist, William Friedkin when he suggested that people take from watching The Exorcist what they bring to the film.  Similarly, people will take from this collection of UNKLE’s latest tracks what they bring to it.

By this I mean expectations and consideration of what is actually being produced is in part going to influence how well it is received.

James Lavelle is currently recording as UNKLE with Pablo Clements.

You can currently listen to tracks from End Titles… Stories For Film at the UNKLE MySpace page.