“This isn’t a live album, it’s an alive album” – this is how Jarvis Cocker, the brains behind the former band Pulp, describes Beyond the Pale, the debut album of his brand-new band, ‘Jarv Is…’. Comprising of a group of rather under-the-radar musicians with Serafina Steer on harp, Emma Smith on violin and guitar, Andrew McKinney from the James Taylor Quartet on bass, Jason Buckle from All Seeing I on the keyboard and Adam Betts from Three Trapped Tigers on drums, Jarv Is… was formed in late 2017 to perform at Sigur Rós’ Icelandic festival, Norður og Niður. Jarvis aimed to write music with audience interaction. But taking a closer look three years later, the band’s music, recorded in the studio, is undoubtedly a reflection of its leader. Beyond the Pale is the introspective work of a 56-year-old musician whose career is far from over. It sees him contemplate his earlier work and the years passing him by as well as his feeling fed up with the ‘modernity’ of his contemporaries. His vocal control in this album is better than ever and the new autumnal tones in his voice are sublime. In terms of style, though, the album is a little confusing as there is a change of scenery with each of the seven songs, from a hypnotic-psychedelic jam (Must I Evolve?) to a pop dancefloor hit (House Music All Night Long), moving to a Leonard Cohen-style drawl (Save The Whale) and a slow and mellow tune (Swanky Modes). But Jarvis Cocker has always liked doing things a little differently – like in 2017 when he teamed up with pianist Chilly Gonzalez to write an album in Room 29 of the legendary Chateau Marmont Hotel in L.A. Here, once again, the sudden changes in rhythm have produced an album with sharp contrasts in sound as well as in concepts. Beyond the Pale is just as elusive as its composer has been for almost 40 years… © Marc Zisman/Qobuz