INSIGNIFICANCE (2001)

THE RECORDS OF JIM O'ROURKE UNLIKE THE RECORDS OF SAY MICHAEL JACKSON OR BLACK FLAG OR ROY ORBISON DO NOT REALLY LEND THEMSELVES TO A WIDER CULTURAL MEMORY. THEY'RE PRODUCTS OF AN ARTIST OUTSIDE OF ANY ZEITGEIST. AND AS SUCH THERE ARE NO CONSUMER PRODUCTS TO ATTACH TO HIS WORK, NO COOL DESIGNS, NO DANCES, NO FILMED MOMENTS THAT EXIST IN WIDER SOCIAL CONTEXTS AND MEMORIES.

INSIGNIFICANCE DOES AT LEAST HAVE SOME MEMORY FOR ME. I BOUGHT IT THE YEAR IT WAS RELEASED (2001) FROM A GUY IN THE FACTORY I WAS TEMPING IN. HE SOLD THE RELEASES OF THE DAY BY DOWNLOADING THEM AND BURNING THEM OFF. NOT ALL OF US HAD THE INTERNET THEN SO £3 FOR CDS THAT WOULD COST £15 IN ANDY'S RIP-OFF-BASTARD RECORDS. 

I REMEMBER WHEN HE HANDED OVER THIS HE SAID "OH, I LISTENED TO THAT ON THE WAY IN. IT'S REALLY SHIT." I WAS 18 AND CRUSHED IN THE FACE OF THIS BURLY FORKLIFT OPERATOR.

ANYWAY I LIKED IT A LOT. MY FRIEND DAVID (MENTIONED IN THE REVIEW OF JIM.COMPUTER.HOTEL) WAS VERY SURPRISED BY THIS RECORD AS IT SEEMED TO BE A COMPLETE VOLTE-FACE FROM THE CLINICAL LAPTOP PONDERINGS HE HAD SEEN A FEW MONTHS PRIOR. THIS IS ROCK AND ROLL. IS THIS A DIFFERENT JIM O'ROURKE, HE WONDERED?

I STILL LIKE IT A LOT. THE TWO ELECTRIC ROCK SONGS HAVE GREAT RIFFS AND JIM'S VOICE IS JUST RIGHT, A WARM LOW-SUNG TENOR, DRIPPING WITH SARCASM (WELL HE WOULDN'T WANT TO DO ROCK THAT WAS *SINCERE* WOULD HE?). THESE SONGS HAVE LITTLE LEFTWARD LURCHES BUT ALL WITHIN THE REALMS OF SONG AND SONGLINESS. 

BUT REALLY IT'S THE OTHER 5 SONGS THAT ARE WORTH THE PRICE OF ENTRY; THESE WARM VAGUELY VAN DYKE PARKS/JACK NITZSCHE THINGS LACED WITH FUNNY (AND A BIT CRUEL!) LINES AND MORDANT BEAUTY. 

 

THIS COMES, AS YOU WILL SEE, TOWARD THE END OF A RUN WITH DRAG CITY WHERE JIM MAKES SOME NICE AND VAGUELY NORMAL MUSIC. THE EFFECT OF THIS RECORD IN CONTRAST WITH HIS INSTRUMENTAL AND DETACHED MUSIC FOR 'APPRECIATION' IS DEVASTATING WHEN YOU COMPREHEND HOW WELL HE'S MASTERED THE SYNTAX OF EACH. THE EFFECT IS AKIN TO USAIN BOLT TURNING UP IN THE OLYMPIC JAVELIN AND COMING SECOND. 

CERTIFIED: GOOD