BOB GEAL (Electricity Bill)
Music
"A heavier, insistent, rockier vibe than evident on most of Bill’s other works. Touches of REM and Talking Heads but with more of a raw and incisive tone. The lyrics demand closer listening because behind the powerful riffs there are confessions of alienation and absurdity along with a humour that may not be obvious on a first or casual hearing.
Philosophy and non-duality here take on the deceptive guise of rock music. Don’t let it fool you!
But essentially this is a sound and energy that must be experienced! It is to be felt rather than read about. Listening to this is a complete physical and mental workout that will leave you breathless."
"Bill again at his intimate and wistful best.
Catchy and often funny pop (even punkish in places) songs with hidden depths, alongside ambient (but never boring) excursions.
As always with Bill’s albums this repays repeated listening and works on many different levels (not unlike a ticket inspector in a multi-storey car park).
The music and the lyrics sometimes strike surprising counterpoints – listen again – there’s more here than meets the ear.
Playful but not superficial. Experimental but accessible.
Enigmatic – now there’s a word!
Confused? – you will be! – but also charmed.
The production and maturity of this album is impressive."
"Perhaps the most personal and confessional of Bill’s albums with soft and heart-breaking moments amid the lighter and more enigmatic style that is always distinctively Bill - despite the sometimes radical experimentalism on show.
The meanings here are not always apparent but allow the listener to identify with the songs in their own way. But despite the lack of specific details listening to this is like entering into the private world of Bill.
Nothing here should be taken literally. Nothing here is the way it seems.
Touches of Bowie at times – but never imitative.
Describing the indescribable was never easy. But this is a polyphonic massage for the mind that seems to make a kind of sense to the heart. Listen and become immersed."
"The early Bill featuring the ethereal vocals of Maria Elek which complement Bill’s perfectly.
Haunting with a folky edge – but to classify this album as falling into any particular genre would not do justice to the variety and originality of the sound and lyrics here.
These tracks won’t leave you alone with their quirky, poetic nature always offering more with each listening
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Unrequited love, unrequited life. Seminal stuff yes - but already the full Bill.
You will still be hearing these songs in your head long after taking your last breath.
A beautiful obsession."