Never, Never, Land

But that was then and this is now... now is very different. Following the release of Psyence Fiction, Shadow returned to the States to work on The Private Press (with Lavelle as A&R). James Lavelle is the constant in UNKLE and he's forged a new production partnership with long-time friend Richard File for UNKLE’s new album, Never Never Land. Lavelle said of File in Jockey Slut 2002: "Richard loves music, he's open-minded, he's brilliant technically, he's an absolute lunatic, he's a star, he's my best friend." In 2000, they moved into an Old Street flat together. It proved a very hedonistic time, a lost weekend that actually turned quite fruitful. In the same year they produced the band South for Mo' Wax and recorded a brooding, sinister soundtrack to Jonathan Glaser's film "Sexy Beast".

On the long awaited sophomore UNKLE endeavor, Stone Roses front man Ian Brown--whose "Be There" with UNKLE in 1998 went top ten--returns on the album's lead-off single "Reign" with fellow Roses member Mani tending to bass. Long time friend and inspiration 3D (of Massive Attack) contributes to "Invasion," Jarvis Cocker and Brian Eno duel with synths on "I Need Something Stronger," Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age contributes a schizoid vocal over a bassquake on "Safe In Mind" and Joel Cadbury of South's pretty Beatles-esque ballad "Glow" is the penultimate track. The album is rich in atmosphere, a lush cinematic experience in sensurround sound. If Psyence Fiction sounded like the future, Never Never Land is a post-apocalyptic travel log.

And it's been quite a trip for the men from UNKLE.


Like the end-of-season regenerations of Doctor Who, every new record from James Lavelle's UNKLE finds the musical project at the climax of some dramatic transmutation. Never, Never, Land is no exception. Soon after the release of 1999's Psyence Fiction, beats wizard DJ Shadow announced he'd never work as a member of UNKLE again--and accordingly, the first thing you notice about Never, Never, Land is the absence of his robust percussion. But once over that minor disappointment, it's not hard to wallow in this record's impressively dark scope.

With the aid of new collaborator Richard File, Lavelle has made a record that connects the dots between the creeping melancholy of Talk Talk, the scaly electronics of Massive Attack's Mezzanine and the grand sky-bound epics of the Verve. Like its predecessor, there's a proliferation of guest appearances: Jarvis Cocker, Josh Homme, Brian Eno, Ian Brown, Massive Attack's Robert del Naja. But the vocals are assimilated much more successfully here, ensuring that guest never overpowers song. Lavelle still has a fine eye for casting his songs in the grandest narratives: "Panic Attack" samples the robotic pulse of Joy Division's "She's Lost Control" and overlays it with blurred electronic shimmers and driving bass. Mind you, it might be the understated numbers--"Glow", "Inside"--that provide some of the record's loveliest moments. --Louis Pattison