Ah Godspunk, what would we musical procrastinators do without you? And what’s more, Volume 9 is possibly the best of all the Godspunk compilations. Some inspiring and challenging stuff is encased within (as per normal), but where this compilation wins out is the sheer consistency of the material and the compilation’s pace and sonic direction throughout. As seems to be the norm, Howl in the Typewriter kicks proceedings off in lugubrious style: this time with the paranoid stomp of Edge of the World: (outside of John Shuttleworth’s celebrated number, is this the only popular song with repeated mention of Dandelion & Burdock?).
Following this we have take-off towards an underground Nirvana of sorts, beginning with an old fashioned rave up with a funny ending from the Taurus board: (the hod clopers: the first rehearsal) and something nice but all too quick from Dimm D3sciple. UNIT’s Employment Enjoyment then combines po-faced tweeness, a hilarious instrumental middle section and blasts of intemperate language that needs to be heard to be believed. At this point you really do wonder what on earth is coming next. (As an aside I’d probably say UNIT’s four tracks on volume 9 are the strongest I have heard from them: Labor Callum Obducit Dolori is a beauty and Eagle is an affecting tale of social care industry & one unfortunate lad’s fight against it.
Moments of beauty are also found with John Tree’s floating fancy The W*y You Look Tonight (solvent abuse mix) and Howl in the Typewriter’s Whales is another. We get cod spy themes, courtesy of Laszlo Klemke, cod-Balkan knees ups courtesy of the Balkan’oliks and a take on the dreamy instrumentals Paul Simpson used to turn out, courtesy of Boxhead. There are the usual uncompromising sound collages too: The Death of the Enlightenment Project’s Iblis is one such and Melodramatic Monkey’s soliloquy, Giraffe and Egg, is another. And we have a welcome return from the Shi-ites, whose Dopamine Dream is a messy dole-queue ballad of the highest quality.
A brilliant & singular record in a remarkable series, what more can I say?