Paul Haig -‘Kube’ (Rhythm Of Life)

Paul Haig first made his name as lead singer of Josef K, rightly acknowledged as one of the most influential bands in Britain. That was the early 1980s; he has had a successful solo career, of which Kube is his twelfth album.

Interviewing him about this album*, he told me that he feels he’s found his voice – finally! -with this album. Kube is perhaps the most experimental records that he has made in his decades-long career. So it’s not about anthems in the vein of Josef K singles like ‘It’s Kinda Funny’ or ‘Sorry For Laughing’ or ‘Trip Out The Rider’ from his last album, Relive.

It may not be as immediate as some of his other work, but what we have here is a record that on each successive play reveals something else. He’s been playing around with new technology, and the end result is an extremely cohesive exploration of technology married with his ability to write brilliant songs.

Produced, written and played entirely by himself, here is twenty-first century pop music that’s not looking back. First single ‘UW2B’/’Red Rocks’ gives you an idea of what you might expect but don’t deny yourself: take the time to check out one of the most exciting and unusual albums you may hear this year.

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Kube is out now on Rhythm Of Life

*my new interview with Paul Haig will appear here shortly. In the meantime, here is a link to the interview I did in 2009 when Relive came out.