BILLIE BOTTLE'S TEMPLE OF SHIBBOLETH

"Temple Of Shibboleth" is the latest offering from Billie Bottle where she somehow combines the mundane week of being a housewife with song titles like "The Wash", "Ironing Days", "The Mending", "The Brewing" and ending with "Rest" with mythology of all things. The lyrics are top shelf, so impressive and the instrumental work continues to impress as it did on "The Other Side" but even better here. Her previous record "The Other Side" was one I couldn't get into mainly because of the lyrics that dealt with British politics plus this new one just seems so much more mature. I mean there's no f-bombs dropping from the sky like on that previous record along with the sarcasm I rarely got.

Billie Bottle's debut from 2010 included guest appearances from David Sinclair and Jimmy Hasting while here we get Richard Sinclair playing bass on one track. They are an all female five piece this time around. Billie, Viv and Roz are back but we get a new drummer and a bassoon player. What? On a Canterbury album? Yes this album unlike the previous one has that Canterbury sound with distorted organ and keys at times. Billie's vocals seem even better here. Again sophisticated jazzy pop tunes for the most part but man she can develope a song which I noticed on her last album as well. Intelligent music folks in spades both the lyrics and music. Mellotron too!

So I have a top five which includes the opener "In The Temple" opening with flute before vocals and piano take over. Beautiful music really as the tempo picks up with beats and more. Harmonies too and it turns experimental late. "Cantus" is the next song on the album and also a top five. This song sort of encapsulates the whole album especially the lyrics. I like when things open up after 2 minutes as well as the sax and bassoon during that late instrumental section, and how uplifting it is 5 minutes in with the mellotron. "Ironing Days" has Richard Sinclair on it but man Billie sounds amazing vocally on here. Light and jazzy with harmonies early as bass, beats and atmosphere join in. Canterbury organ on this one and I like the sax late followed by atmosphere.

"The Mead" is another top five, just a gorgeous sound to it to start.There's even a seductive "I'm a little teapot" section. Oh check out the bassoon 3 minutes in. Lastly "The Wolf" a song about baking and stuff and yes I'm a baker so I can relate a little. And that distorted organ to start! We got trumpets, bassoon, flute and even an experimental section. I'm not sure how "The Mending" didn't make my top five but it needs a mention for being the longest at almost 10 minutes and some really good arrangements here. So intense before 3 minutes as mending can be. I also have to mention "The Wash" for making doing the laundry sound almost adult rated.

Holding it at 4 stars for now but this really impressed me. Under an hour too. About a dozen guests helping out on this one.