PERSONA NON GRATA: THE FINE ART OF LIVING

Bruce Soord who also plays with PINEAPPLE THIEF re-unites with his former mate Neil Randall from their VULGAR UNICORN days to present not only a new album, but also a second disc comprised of VULGAR UNICORN material that was either lost or are original demos .

The new material on the first disc reminds me a little of DREDG, it's alternative sounding with more of an emphasis on the guitar. The first three songs are very good, lots of guitar and some of it is quite heavy. "Lament For Mayer" is mellow, piano laden with vocals similar to Billy from SMASHING PUMPKINS. "Gliders V1.1(Water Machine)" really reminds me of CAKE, the speaking instead of singing vocals. Good song. Another favourite is "Beachlife" which opens with some good drumming and features more great guitar from Bruce.

The second disc has an eighties feel to it, but it's quite good. "Stile Over The World" features some nice horns, reminding me of the PSYCHEDELIC FURS. "The House At Fudge Corner" is a highlight on this disc, the horns, guitar, and it gets pretty heavy. The fifth song really reminds me of SLOAN, another good one.

This is a fun release that I do recommend to both VULGAR UNICORN and PINEAPPLE THIEF fans, but also to those into Alternative Rock.