‘Storytelling’ is a game of two halves, and the largely wordless first half – written for the opening ‘Fiction’ segment of the Happiness director’s latest film – is a revelation. Piano laments like ‘Fiction’ and ‘Freak’ stir up more emotional gristle than B&S’ entire recorded output to date, while the harmonica drawl of ‘Fuck This Shit’ resembles a magnificently pissed Lambchop doing the Last Of The Summer Wine theme.
There’s the odd slice of hippy shambling (see ‘Black And White Unite’), but it’s the exception on this startlingly vibrant record: ‘Storytelling’ is the first indication that Stuart Murdoch has finally got some decent red meat down his gob. Who knows, this mouse might yet roar.
