Fresh from being made an honorary doctor of the Sheffield Hallam University, former Britpop icon Jarvis Cocker continues to eke out a living as a solo performer, quietly producing underrated yet solid records as the fruits of his labour. Known for his often acerbic wit in his Pulp days, Cocker hasn’t lost the songwriting craft of old; “Your life is just a carrier bag/Oh they’ll fill it and the straps will snap” he warns on this current single and it’s hard to think of another performer who could carry off such simplistic observations on life. ‘Further Complications’, taken from the Steve Albini produced album of the same name, isn’t instantly gratifying, lacking the pop gravitas of Cocker’s Pulp back catalogue. Yet, in comparison to material from his debut solo LP, the track is accessible without dumbing down. Meanwhile, the video for this track sees Cocker act out the album’s cover, clearly reveling in still being one of pop’s more ambidextrous frontmen, despite now being in his forties.
Words: Lisa Hughes
