Wobble and Klein reconvene for a noise and melody manifesto of post punk precision.

A CONSUMMATE JUGGLER

Wobble is a consummate juggler, with always a number of different balls in the air, as he skirts about, seeking alternate styles and genres within which to apply his overtly idiosyncratic style of bass guitar. Teaming up, once more, with Jon Klein, with whom he produced their extravagant re-working of Metal Box, Metal Box – Rebuilt In Dub, this is actually their 3rd collaboration. And it is actually very little like the last, A Brief History Of Now, from 2023. Furthermore, rather than the woozy world dub textures that feature across the majority of the Wobble playbook, this is spikier and more aggressive post-punk, more akin to that Metal Box project, appropriately angry rallying from the post-industrial barricades of an advancing wasteland.

A DRIVER’S EYE FOR DETAIL

Informed, as are so many of Wobble’s inspirations, by travelling around on what residual public transport systems remain intact, the one-time London Underground tube driver has never lost his attentive driver’s eye for detail. These 8 tracks, or at least the 6 with words and vocal, display a worthy dissatisfaction with century 21, a sling full of arrows that remain as sharp as ever; it touches on the themes of ravenous consumerism, climatic destruction, political polarisation and digital takeover, including AI. But don’t include Klein as merely Wobble’s also-ran, his contribution of urgent and agitated guitar slash and burn as integral as are the subterranean bass noodlings of his co-conspirator.

A WOBBLY CROON?

A synth swathescape flickers across the backdrop, punctuated by a plink-plonk scattering, ahead a remarkably tuneful Wobble near croons in, for Fading Away. Croon? Wobble? Yes, you read that right, the bass-botherer not exactly known for the beauty of his singing. I’d suggest singing lessons, but he’d probably scoff at the notion, so I guess he is just trying. Which is counter-intuitive to the professed stance and style of the album, where he has stated an eschewing of clever studio techniques, in favour of banging it all down. Be that as it may, this is perhaps the sweetest song in the Wobbleverse, negating those sung by others. I love it.

The second track bounces straight out in a skittery mesh of spiky guitars and clattering drums, signature bass rumbling like a an interlinking bootlace. Make It Stop, it’s called, and it clearly a plea felt in earnest, the urgency of the lyric and the delivery a sprechgesacht of immediacy: “Going mental in a modern world…….. make it stop“. Familiar? Already a theme is emerging, the inspiration behind these 8 pieces a flounder against the now. “My only friend is an artificial mind, cold digital comfort is all that’s left behind ” is the message of the opening song, that comfort already seems far from comforting.

Who Wins retains that urgency, an ominous look over your shoulder missive, and Wobble has returned his voice to estuary rant mode, the backing arrangement not far away from a siren. Klein throws out some ice and fire guitar parts, and this is proving an unexpected delight.

MODS Vs. BEATS?

Who Wins starts with a Riders, if not necessarily on the Storm, not that far away, bassline. Another spoken polemic, one gets the suggestion the Sleaford Mods might be on the Wobble/Klein chill down playlist. Until Klein squeezes out some sinuous notes, an electric piano clanging away in there too. A song about distrust, it may have started as angular noise, but ambient melody is never far away from the not quite polished outcome. Read Between The Lines recalls the early poems sprinkled routinely into Wobble’s early work, he then putting back on the tux to croon a short chorus. The scenery is shifting behind him, as a progressive build of constructed beats build a wall of sound, with some of Wobble’s trademark timpani entering at halfway. Klein’s guitar has embraced the full Fripp; Kleinotronics, anyone?

The title track is a just under two minute slice of instrumental ambient dub. Too short, would be my comment, but nobody is stopping you putting it on a looped repeat cycle. Given the Metal Box redux set, it is possibly no surprise that Terminal Terminal The End, which follows, screams Public Image Ltd. Lydon may have more snark in his delivery, but Wobble slips into disguise with aplomb, right down to the shouted closing invitation/instruction.

Endless Sky perhaps extends slightly too far the limited template here on show, with further spoken word over jittery industrial guitar and ‘tronica. Having said that, the wordplay is endlessly entertaining and, if you can imagine this track as a beat poet manifesto, Gregory Corso, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, all that lot, and the backing as free jazz, well, it works a whole lot better.

SURF KITSCH ATTRACTIVENESS

Finally a second instrumental, Brockwell Lido, the longest selection here. Sundown dub at Ibiza, or should that be sun-up, it has a queasy subtropical surf feel to it, an attractively kitsch sound, akin to some of Wobble’s soundtrack covers. Klein twangs like a cross between Hank Marvin and Bill Frisell. It makes for a splendid finale, a luxurious soak in the bath after all that shouting. In fact, by the time it has wormed into your ear for the duration,, which is quickly, any misgivings around the set being too similar have all but melted away. And, with the lot done and dusted in just half an hour, it cannot be argued as anything than good use of time.

Here’s Fading Away:

Jah Wobble: Website

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