HOBO SAPIENS

Remarkeable release from John Cale. Smattered with drones, hypnotic loops, rich vocals and satirical lyrics, Cale continues to emphasize the need for homo sapiens to stand up and be counted. Hence " Hobo Sapiens". " Zen" is the perfect example of lyrics hitting the listener well below the belt, dreamy keyboards and a great beat. Message despatched." Reading My Mind" returns to the more early Eno/Roxy Music influences. Did they ever leave. Nice upbeat mood to it. " Things" has some lovely accoustic guitar and one can't help toe tapping throughout the song, satire all the way." Look Horizon" brings the listener back to earth with some melancholic strings and sombre vocals from Cale. " Caravan" builds superbly to six minutes of bliss, sounding almost Floyd like with it's spacey dronings." Over Her Head" seems to be quite personal as the songs plays out the end of the album with lyrics like..." Like the pigeons in the yard, she is getting fat on starch....." Over her head indeed! Musically this is a great work from John Cale. It has a few low points like " Twilight Zone" and " Things X" but these are neglible taking the album as a whole. Four stars.