JARVIS COCKER
Jarvis
Rough Trade
****

In the mid-1990s, a handful of indie acts consituted record company gold by grabbing the ears of the alternative media and storming the charts at the same time. Ten years on and The Tears are a paler imitation of Suede, Oasis have beached on the cusp of a "Best of" release, while Damon Albarn has morphed into a simian-loving cartoon. Pulp's frontman, meanwhile, has temporarily left the bosom of his band for a solo venture. Based on Jarvis, it's a shame he didn't come back sooner. Part soapbox, part poetic manifesto, it's an impressive record that demonstrates Cocker's growth as a songwriter.

Looking every bit the trendy, foppish uncle, Cocker hasn't ditched the whimsicality. But instead of mellowing with age, Cocker's irreverent side has expanded, proven by hidden track Running the World. Who else would pun on the title of a charity song, release it one year after Live 8 and use the word "cunt" repeatedly in the chorus? He's as rebellious as ever, though the in-your-face archness is tempered by universal concerns. As a reinvented guru on Don't Let Him Waste Your Time, Cocker advises a friend about a wastrel boyfriend. He worries about "the children" on Disney Time as an eerie female choir sways in the background.

Musically, it's tight-as-hell while managing to sound loose-limbed. Church bells seep into Black Magic with its rolling rock chorus, and xylophone-led Baby's Coming Back to Me is a love song worthy or Nick Cave or Stuart Staples. Welcome back, Jarvis, it's been way too long. www.myspace.com/jarvspace