Lazarus Kane - Psychobabble EP

A new era has begun for Lazarus Kane (the band), following the retirement from public life of Lazarus Kane (the man, the myth). Despite the (frankly hilarious) shenanigans that Lazarus put unsuspecting journalists through by putting on a persona in interviews of an ageless Texan and close personal friend of Harrison Ford, there was a risk that the joke was going to wear thin before the band themselves could shine properly. One rethink later, and though we’re sorry to lose the jokes, we are left with some pretty spankingly good music instead.

‘Psychobabble’, the first EP under the ’new’ guise, shows that the band have lost none of their oddness, and more importantly, their spark. Angular and skittish, ‘Milk At My Door’ shakes its hips in the style of New Wave titans of the past, getting its groove on while casting a side-eye at our twin obsessions of both nostalgia and technology. ‘Whole Foods’ is a kind of madness, while ‘Williston, ND’ is the sound of a band excitedly exploring left turns and side alleys, having a little rummage around and seeing what they fancy to do next.

There is so much going on in just these four songs, and while it’s not the finished article, that’s hardly important right now. With so much glee and joy in the music, the road to wherever the hell they’re going is the one we want to be on. The old Lazarus Kane might be dead, but long live this new Lazarus Kane instead.