SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JAH WOBBLE AND JON KLEIN – AUTOMATED PARADISE

JAH WOBBLE AND JON KLEIN
AUTOMATED PARADISE
DIMPLE DISCS

Since leaving Public Image Ltd, Jah Wobble has been a remarkably prolific artist. He has recently teamed up with Jon Klein, former Siouxsie and The Banshees and Specimen guitarist, for their second collaborative effort. This album is more post-punk than dub. In fact, although Jah Wobble is famous for his dub records, with Automated Paradise, he is returning to his punk roots for a brilliant album.

The title track is the closest thing to dub on the album, and it is a nice short reminder of what Wobble does and does extremely well. But with Klein in the picture, he, for the first time in years, returns to post-punk and punk. He does it with ease, with the perfect vocals and lyrics. Klein provides him the musical support, and it is full steam ahead. Wobble has always been about human contact and humanity, here he is observing the very opposite. “Information constantly unfurled/A million faces staring at their phones/Make it stop!” Wobble sings with Klein’s driving guitar. It is clear that he is seeing a population splintering and falling apart, rather than uniting.

Wobble is not happy with the state of the world. “Who Wins,” which Klein’s guitar drills into the listener in a grinding fashion, spells it out perfectly. And yet, he takes time to be more reflective and a bit more peaceful in his message. In “Read Between The Lines,” which for the most part is poetry recitation, Klein provides a moving synthesizer base, and the end result is a thing of beauty. The album ends with a little bit of hope. The bass and guitar interplay of “Brockwell Lido,” a melodic instrumental that does suggest there might be some sunshine in the next day. Or perhaps, I am simply hoping for a more positive ending.

However it ends, Automated Paradise is a brilliant album. It is somewhat unexpected given Wobble’s recent releases, but working with Klein was an inspired idea. The two fit together, each bringing their experience and talent to the table. The end result is a complete album that serves the listener better to listen from beginning to end. Automated Paradise is a strong, melodic, post-punk album that is full of little surprises and some of the finest lyrics you will hear this year.

Jah Wobble Links

Jon Klein Links