Peepers

Categorizing Sebastian Rochford poses problems. Jazz is at the heart of his work, yet his understanding of and engagement with a wide range of genres are such that it's impossible to shoehorn his recordings into neat and tidy boxes. Peepers is Rochford's fourth album as the leader and percussionist of the London-based Polar Bear, alongside collaborators Leafcutter John, Tom Herbert, Pete Wareham, and Mark Lockheart. More than its predecessors (2004's Dim Lit, 2005's Mercury Prize-nominated Held on the Tips of Fingers, and 2008's Polar Bear), Peepers sounds very close to a live Polar Bear performance. The album has moments of unbridled joy--like the euphoric "Happy for You"--where the whole band bounces on a rock beat without resorting to cliche. In the front line, the two tenor saxophones create prickly, grainy timbres and also let rip with solos that contrast the marked difference in tone between the two players. Elsewhere, "The Love Didn't Go Anywhere" sees Leafcutter John play guitar on a beautifully loping piece that has the subtle afterglow of classic Roxy Music, with Bryan Ferry's vocal replaced by the rapier glide of the two reeds, while Tom Herbert's hefty double bass pounds out concise but penetrating lines.