Thinking of the Brit Awards tonight and how Jarvis' career had come full circle (minus the record sales and popping up on every tv show going) in the decade and a year since 'that' appearance, I wonder if this is the happiest Jarvis has ever been with his career.
He has proved that he can still make records as good as much of what he released in Pulp before, with enough people to appreciate it but not enough to plunge him into a TV movie tabloid-hell. And his influence as a songwriter - the true mark of a musician apparently - is steadily beginning to seep through, and not just to the 'witty lyrics & guitar pop' of the likes of The Long Blondes. Last night I heard the coolest cats around at the moment, CSS, being interviewed on the radio and saying how delighted they were to have met Jarvis after he joined them on-stage at a gig before Christmas. They had spent much of their teens listening to 'Britpop', the only way buying such records was via expensive imports but that people like Jarvis and Pulp had made it worthwhile.
To think that this time 10 years ago, the beginning of 1997, Jarvis was in the midst of a nervous breakdown - having just returned alone from an ill-fated trip to New York, the responsibility of writing a follow-up record to one which had been an overwhelming success weighing heavily on him, and really not feeling all that good.
He wont win an award tonight of course - like Thom Yorke he's in the 'Best Male' category to help give the Brits some 'critic cred' but when you see Oasis 'givin' it large' after their 'Lifetime Achievement Award', I think Jarvis will allow himself a wry smile. After all, if there's any British aritst under 50 deserving of such an accolade it's him.
No, my point was that Jarvis is an inspiration to artists beyond the "smart lyrics and quirky English pop" nature of The Long Blondes, Maximo Park, Kaisers et.al
I've followed T'Blondes progress keenly since they released 'Appropriation By Any Oher Name" which was summer 2005 I think. "You fill me with inertia but I still want to jumpr yor bones" is the best pop lyric I've heard in ages. I just found it a shame when I discovered that a singer as good as Kate Jackson doesn't actually write their lyrics (apart from two songs on the album). They could do with a bit more synths in their songs to layer them out - the guitar sound is a bit 'one string solo dirge' at times. I'm surprised Mackey didn't put that right in the studio.
And although Jarvis didn't win the other night at least another unexpected Pulp fan came out of the closet at the Brits - woah! Nelly (Furtado).
I don't think The Long Blondes album is as good as the demos and singles, but that's the way it usually happens, isn't it. Much as I hate to admit, I think Steve's production sorta blanded them out, took a little bit of the scrappiness and bite away.
Still I think it's the year's best pop album, and sadly under-rated in the press and neglected by the public. I mean, what does it take to crack the Top 20?
In 10 years Critics are going to look back at their End of 2006 lists and be so embarassed. "TV on the Radio"? You have GOT to be kidding!
