So Jim O’Rourke has slipped a brand new album in under the radar. It’s called ‘Simple Songs’ and I haven’t heard it yet but the blurb sounds promising.

If you don’t know Jimbo he’s an interesting chap – came out of the intriguing Chicago post rock scene along with people like The Sea and the Cake and Tortoise. I discovered this music genre about 15 years ago and as a lover of the Canterbury sound (see my previous blog) I think there is a bit of that DNA in there (although Im probably on my own with that theory) – but there’s something about the gentle vocals, obvious jazz stylings and occasionally songs with varied and complex sections but with melody to the fore.

Back to Jim – he is, to use that currently in vogue expression, a true polymath. He’s made acres of stuff that is pretty much unlistenable noodly avant-garde soundscapes; he’s made solo acoustic guitar instrumental records a la John Fahey and he was, for a fair number of years, a member of Sonic Youth. But he has also made a number of wonderful eclectic pop records which generally have titles taken from Nicholas Roeg movies » Continue Reading.