Perry Farrell’s first solo jaunt, Song Yet to Be Sung, would have been more appropriately titled Carnival, befitting this collection of celebratory songs about love and the oft-sought spiritual “party,” or better yet, Jubilee, after the album’s bookend track, “Happy Birthday Jubilee.” A stellar mix of hard-hitting drum n’ bass, horns and aerial strings, the incantation sets the tone for Farrell’s entire journey: “This is a name/This is a rock/This is my bride.”
The piano-driven “King Z,” co-produced by dub/reggae sage Mad Professor, is imbued with the mystery and sorcery of alchemy: “When studied one becomes/The one whose number is one and one.” “Shekina,” co-produced by Marius DeVries (Björk, Massive Attack), and the epic “Did You Forget” find Farrell taking lessons from Madonna and U2’s feather-light forays into melodic, guitar-driven electronica. The latter is at first somewhat flamboyant but then reveals an ambitious pace of drum n’ bass and fuzzed up guitar riffs.
Tracks like “To Me” and “Say Something” invent a whole new brand of cyber-hippie with their mix of electro-pop and numinous lyrical content: “Cherubs turn away their blushing faces/Leaving us aroused and bare.” The dub-infused title track plays off the masterful guitar work of Jane’s Addiction cohort Dave Navarro with a subtle Middle Eastern vibe (“From the heights of Zion…We’ve got to play on, wild designery”), while “Seeds” is an uncomplicated ode to fertility (making babies never sounded so magical!). Had post-Indian-excursion Beatles been miraculously transported into a high-tech 21st-century recording studio, this is what their music might have sounded like.
Since 2001, we've brought you uncompromising, candid takes on the world of film, music, television, video games, theater, and more. Independently owned and operated publications like Slant have been hit hard in recent years, but we’re committed to keeping our content free and accessible—meaning no paywalls or fees.
If you like what we do, please consider subscribing to our Patreon or making a donation.
