David Sylvian’s ‘Manafon’ is a masterpiece and don’t let anybody tell you differently.
He describes it a sister album to 2003’s equalling enthralling ‘Blemish’. It’s been a long time coming, but it was well worth the wait.
On the official website , Manafon is described somewhat forbiddingly as a “horribly beautiful work of nuance and stern musicality” which should scare off casual listeners looking for some feel good pop.
Anyone who has followed Sylvian’s post Japan work should know by now that his New Romantic origins are about as relevant to where he’s at as Scott Walker’s days as a pop heart-throb . These two singers personify the loner spirit in modern music and both have turned increasingly to a kind of meticulous deconstruction of conventional songs, in terms of structure and subject matter.
Sylvian, like Walker, has always had an introverted, melancholy character and this album is probably his most desolate to date although that doesn’t mean that it is a depressing listen. I may be perverse, but I’ve always from found sad songs that centre on a loss of faith to be strangely comforting.
“They’ve refused my prayers for the umpteenth time – now I’m evening up the score” he sings on the opening track – Small Metal Gods while on ‘Snow White in Appalachia’, he sings: “And there is no maker, just inexhaustible indifference”.
Sylvian has assembled a dream team of global musicians who obviously prefer improvised unstructured sound to standard-verse chorus songs. These include saxophonist Evan Parker, electonica guru Christian Fennesz and Sachiko M who experiments with the sound of sine waves.
On many of the tracks there’s little more than a vague pulse behind the voice. What they contribute is as far from beat orientated pop-rock as it’s possible to get while still maintaining a framework that can still be called a song.
These sparse arrangements suit Sylvian’s air of disillusionment and isolation perfectly.
My favourite lines , are in the song called ‘Emily Dickinson :
“And she wanted to stay home
With a box full of postcards
And no place to send them
Live like Emily Dickinson”
A serious contender for album of the year.
