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Fresh from a reunion with former band, Blur, Graham Coxon has released his eighth studio solo album.
A+E is a feisty guitar driven event. Indie-punk mixed in with a hint of Krautrock progressive rock are the order of the day.
The album is not a complex affair. The 49-year-old serves up 10 tracks of varying rock forms, with fun and flair as the staple ingredients.
Advice kicks off proceedings with a furious opening riff and punk feel.
Coxon gives a wry assessment of today’s dating and drink culture on Meet + Drink + Pollinate, which ends in a jazz-sax themed medlee.
The former Blur guitarist played all the instruments on A+E, but it is his masterful command of the axe, with plenty of rambling riffs and frantic solos, that makes A+E shine.
Running for Your Life is a funny look at the old Blur v Oasis/ North v South feud and Seven Naked Valleys serves up a Blur-esque number, harking back to the days of 13.
A+E is not sophisticated but it is a lot of fun. Coxon’s love of playing is evident and he gives us 10 tracks of rollicking rock-pop like it’s 1999 all over again.