It's pretty rare for Colin Robinson to let another musician contribute to his one of his Jumble Hole Clough albums. He made an exception for fellow avant-gardist and friend Michael Linden West who contributed (and appears on) four tracks of the new Go And Play Quietly By Yourself album. They have performed together as The Clog Hunt Occasional Collapsing Knitting Society and appeared many times on the same bill at The Nutclough Tavern Road in Hebden Bridge.
The bulk of the material was broadcasted on Radiofare on Dublin Digital Radio, which might explain why all tracks are rather short, with the notable exception of Driven Bognor Regis, a skewed tribute of sorts to the ice cream and sausages that can be enjoyed at the seaside resort in West Sussex.
Robinson sticks to his guns, using every instrument that is lying around in his studio. He is an incurable pundit of elaborate wordplay - who names a song Wedgie during which he almost strangles his guitar, much like the fabric of the underwear must feel when it is pulled up as a practical joke. Dead Man's Plimsoles can be added to the short list of songs about sinister footwear, with eerie vocals circling above as pop-art Erinyes from Hell. CPL593H was named after the license plate that is mentioned in the chorus of Roxy's Music Re-Make/Re-Model. Robinson loves to hide a song within a song; Easter eggs and puzzles as small rewards for listening closely.
The West/Robinson collaboration songs - Air Fedora, I Cannot Go Back To Your Poundland, St.Stephen's Bell and You've Just Broken The Law are in line with the stuff they have come up with as a duo in the past: off-kilter short stories and ad-libs that will be embraced by fans of quintessential English eccentricity.
Jumble Hole Clough:
Colin Robinson: all instruments, vocals, found sounds, production
Michael Linden West: vocals: "Air Fedora" and "I Cannot Go Back To Your Poundland"; electric viola: "St.Stephen's Bell"; piano, viola, shehnai, saxonet, bagpipe chanter, clown horn: "You've Just Broken The Law"
Go And Play Quietly By Yourself is a self-released album. Buy it (pay-what-you-want) from his website.
Tracks:- A Big Rusty Bin
- Jackal Sequin Song
- St.Stephen's Bell
- Hot Cross Nuns
- What Have You Learnt?
- Air Fedora
- The Witch Behind The Gingham Curtain
- Santa's Swearing Elves
- Merry-Go-Round
- You've Just Broken The Law
- Dial M For Marmite
- I Cannot Go Back To Your Poundland
- Interlude No.5
- Radio Périphérique
- Skin & Hide
- The Start Of An Adventure
- Wedgie
- The Voice Of Bamako
- Dead Man's Plimsoles
- CPL593H
- Interlude No.6a - Trans Pennine Express
- Driven Bognor Regis
» Jumble Hole Clough on Facebook
HCTF review of Live at the Machpelah 30th March 2017.
