Jordan: The Comeback is Prefab Sprout's largely successful attempt to embrace the breadth of popular music; wisely reuniting with producer Thomas Dolby, Paddy McAloon freely indulges his myriad ambitions and obsessions to weave a dense, finely textured tapestry closer in spirit and construction to a lavish Broadway musical than to the conventional rock concept LP. Over the course of no less than 19 tracks, McAloon chases his twin preoccupations of religion and celebrity, creating a loose thematic canvas perfect for his expanding musical palette; quickly dispensing with common pop idioms, the album moves from tracks like the samba-styled "Carnival 2000" to the self-explanatory "Jesse James Symphony" and its companion piece "Jesse James Bolero" with remarkable dexterity.
Gunn’s composition’s always aspire to Grand Canyon-style grandeur. Heroic themes, vocal chants, and African-influenced percussive rhythms propel Gunn’s flute through expansive compositions with synthesizer orchestrations and a filigree of acoustic guitar and piano. I’ve been a big fan of Malkin’s music since I reviewed his terrific Thousand Pieces of Gold over a year ago. An Emmy award winner who has scored many television shows and movies, Gary brings a wealth of thematic genius to this latest in the National Park Series from Real Music.