It’s a mix of emotions, being a johnny-come-lately to a music party: on the one hand you feel stupid and annoyed at yourself for missing out, but on the other hand you’re full of happiness that you’ve finally arrived. That’s exactly how I feel about John Grant and his astonishingly good Queen of Denmark album.
On the face of it an utterly bizarre mix of balladry (some of it so camp it wouldn’t be out of place on a cruise liner) and sleazy electropop, the whole thing hangs together superbly thanks to Grant’s searing wisdom, honesty, and acerbic wit.
But let’s face it, no matter how brilliant the lyrics, an album’s nothing without a set of tunes you can whistle, so enjoy Chicken Bones for starters. And yes, in case you were wondering, I did get into this because it was MOJO’s album of the year. How predictable!
(Health warning: this video contains swearing and graphic images of an American singer-songwriter in tight lycra, dressed as a superhero, walking round a car boot sale in Cardiff. It is, unquestionably, the best music video ever.)
arbitrary constant 