Peter Alexander Jobson mightn’t be a household name, but the singer-songwriter/multi instrumentalist has carved out a long and successful career. He spent sixteen years as a member of I Am Kloot, a moody rock band who achieved great success, eventually earning a Mercury Prize nomination. Under his own name, he has recorded soundtracks for film and television, and also supported the massively popular Elbow on tour. For some, his solo debut ‘Burn The Ration Books of Love’ has been eagerly awaited.
It might be fair to say that the record isn’t quite what his fans are expecting. A concept album of sorts, inspired by an incident many years ago where he and a friend almost burnt down an entire village, its material is often very dark. But like the Bad Seeds and Tindersticks material with which ‘…Ration Books…’ sometimes appears to share a common bond, it carries a downbeat vibe that can also feel rather beautiful. Jobson throws an immediate curveball, however, since the opening track ‘Holiday’ features a jaunty piano melody joined by comments about sex and wobbling relationships to the delight of a live audience. It’s like experiencing a post-modern tribute to Tom Lehrer, which is immediately contrasted by the old country of ‘Mountain’, a track where the vocal croons assuredly against an old fashioned rumpty tumpty rhythm. The very live sounding nature of the acoustic guitar work brings a vitality to this track, giving everything a lift, and the deep vocals have a real sense of character about them, but, as great as it is, this is about as far removed from the easy indie fare Peter could’ve trotted out. Whether it’s what his fans want is a different matter, but the minimalist approach of ‘The Night of The Fire’ suggests that any idea of crowd-pleasing is the furthest from his mind. The first of the album’s essential tracks, it shares an echoing melody where piano and guitar latch onto a waltzing time signature, and the vocal pays homage to classic Leonard Cohen with its deep, almost broken croon. The mournful voice and equally miserable melody is the perfect fit for a protagonist who watches his own town burn with a view from a bridge, but almost in the manner of someone having an out of body experience. The stripped down music is lovely here, but it’s the occasional moments of extra orchestration which really stand out, since they help to create something with even more of a cinematic feel, helping to create a feeling that this will be an album that sounds better over time.
Opting for something a little more traditional, the enjoyable ‘Go Go’ blends acoustic guitar work with sparsely arranged piano to create something undeniably Calexico-esque. This foray into dark Americana suits Peter perfectly as he drops an undersold Tindersticks-ish vocal against the rootsy music, and as before, his lyrical stance relies heavily on a narrative that will pull in the listener over time with its mournful stance. Granted, you’ll have heard similar material from other singer-songwriters in the past, but there’s something a bit special about the way Jobson revisits a very retro style here. The live in the studio production sound always brings out the very best in the rhythm guitar sounds, bringing an intimacy that breathes life into a melody that’s never hurried, whist the deep vocal feels like a quiet word from a friend. Jobson’s ability to get so much emotion from so little is really impressive, making this one of the record’s best cuts, but ‘Please Please Please’ is even better. With its steadily approached rhythm and shimmering strings, there’s a quiet fragility within the music of the album’s standout track. The arrangement on ‘Please…’ doesn’t throw itself at the listener, but instead, takes the time to slowly work its way under the skin. The wavering and fractured melodies occasionally sound like a warmer take on something from the world of Paul Buchanan, and occasionally like something John Cale might share in one of his more reflective moods. As with a lot of the material on ‘Ration Books’, once Jobson starts to sing, his presence dwarfs absolutely everything, and he delivers every line with a richness and a volume that would make Leonard Cohen feel inadequate. There’s barely a second of vocal here that doesn’t feel as if it comes from a place of absolute purity. With deep and velvety tones set to move even the hardest hearts, this is an absolutely gorgeous recording.
The album’s large scale narratives are offset by a couple of brilliant interludes, lending the record a little more of a concept feel. ‘Home’ returns to a country-esque melody, and although the slight Tindersticks vibe sounds a little less inspiring here, Jobson’s big vocal retains a wonder that’s appealing enough to carry the more predictable melody, and by way of a huge surprise, ‘Foolish Boy’ sounds like one of Johnny Cash’s spoken pieces from ‘The Ragged Old Flag’, underscored by bright synths that convey a love for The Blue Nile. Such a wilful juxtaposition of eras and sounds shouldn’t work, but it’s to Peter’s credit that it really does, and as before, any misgivings about an odd musical stance is offset by another absolutely fantastic vocal.
Even at the tail end of the album, the material shares a great strength. ‘Just ’Cause I’m Dead’ offers something with some fine, flowing piano moments, but is essentially just an extension of the album’s core downbeat mood. Even if things feel a little more settled at this point, Jobson seems keen to ensure things aren’t completely predictable, trading in the Cohen influences for something that tips the hat towards a more sedate Randy Newman. Whichever way you approach it, though, it’s another track with a fantastically old school heart, and half a world away from the era’s more predictable indie and rock sounds. A guest backing vocal from Guy Garvey cements the previous connections with Elbow, too, before the title cut introduces a world of rich orchestration, a quietly mixed backing vocal with an operatic tone, and a few guitar motifs that sound as if they’ve been inspired by Andy Ellison’s ‘It’s Been A Long Time’. It’s a little more grandiose than most of the album, certainly, and a bluesy guitar break leans towards something a little more trad for the rock audience, but it’s still very much Jobson’s show, and his aching voice, at this point, sounds like it belongs to a man who’s ready to burst into tears. It’s mournful, but marvellous; grand, and yet, in the ears of the right kind of listener, has the potential to feel strangely beautiful.
I Am Kloot became known for their bleaker musical outlook, but none of their material captured the perfection of Jobson’s dark poetic style, as heard on parts of this always interesting long player. Imagine being the best singer in your former band, but spending that time purely as part of the rhythm section… In terms of solo debuts, this is wonderful; it’s sometimes a little disjointed, but always a wholly absorbing listen. ‘Burn The Ration Books of Love’ is a record that deserves time spent to uncover its subtleties and deeper emotive elements, but when its musical treats make themselves fully known, it’s also a release that has the air of a strange and moody masterpiece. Whether it’s what you’re expecting from Peter Alexander Jobson or not, this is a disc that can be heartily recommended.
Buy the CD here.
September/October 2024