As a child in elementary school, I used to wonder why, when I would do something bad (but not terrible, as far as bad things a child does, go) like push a friend on the playground, or come to class late after a botched shoe-tying incident, teachers would scold me in a manner incongruous with the level of my behavior. Meanwhile, the class bully would be selling the third graders pot or very conspicuously cheating on a test, and our beloved teacher would turn a blind eye. Finally, en route to the Principal’s office after being caught with gum or something equally impish, I asked the teacher why I, an A student and mostly a good kid, was being sent to the Principal’s office while the truly bad kids got off with a slap on the wrist.
She explained to me that it was because we were held to different standards. I was being taught a lesson because I should have known better. The class bully was already too set in his ways to change, and the administration wasn’t going to waste their time on him until it was really necessary; in fact, they would probably prefer to defer to the police when it came to sentencing him.
I start my review of Squarepusher’s latest album, Just a Souvenir with this anecdote because I am fundamentally conflicted when it comes to reviewing this piece. I hold Tom Jenkinson to the highest standards when it comes to music. This is a man who, over the years, I have come as close to idolizing as any musician out there. I am an unapologetic Squarepusher fanboy. I remember Hard Normal Daddy, the hype (to which he lived up) about a new artist on the scene who was fusing jazz with electronics in a way that hadn’t been done before. It was sometime around Selection 16 that I decided the man was a true genius the likes of which every generation has a handful.
My Red Hot Car only re-affirmed my suspicions. People around me began to take note at or around this time. Once Ultravisitor came out, I felt vindicated. Jenkinson had outdone himself. Jenkinson must have absorbed at least some of the universe’s praise for his work. I can only imagine it must make your daily routine difficult once the media decides you are a savant. The written work he penned around the EP containing his “Love Will Tear Us Apart” remix only cemented his persona as a mad genius- in the press, such as in his BBC interview preceded by a segment in which Andre 3000 praises his virtues, he seems a warm and engaging guy (despite the woman interviewing him declaring him “A DJ who also plays a musical instrument” – Jenkinson is quick to correct her – “um… in truth, I’m not really a DJ, I suppose”), but on record the man is a force of nature, shredding bass lines with drums that no one can quite figure out, along with synth hooks that are literally other worldly- the reaction from fellow music snobs/geeks when I explain “it’s just one guy!” is typically astonishment- even my girlfriend (who has become something of a double-blind test subject when it comes to the music I listen to -her favorite musician when asked to name one is Celine Dion -anathema, I know, but she is ideal when one is trying to gauge how the rest of the world responds to something, in other words: she has populist tastes) was impressed when I played her snippets of Hello, Everything.
Therefore, I can say with some honesty that, on the Squarepusher standard, Just a Souvenir is not an entirely outstanding album.
It should be duly noted that the “Squarepusher standard” for this particular reviewer is sort of the reference point from where any other musical work in the same vein is judged; it is my musical economy’s gold standard. A record can hold up (“it sounds similar to some of Squarepusher’s better material”) or fall apart (“I would much rather listen to an hour of Squarepusher’s worst output than hear this album again”) when placed on those scales.
The album’s first track is probably its best. Sort of a segue between Hello, Everything and the new work, it lets us know that the Squarepusher we know and love, the one who has never been content to merely show off his chops on bass if it sounded like noodling, is still intact; still at work. And by this I mean, the song is flat out catchy. Like his best output, a good Squarepusher track will impress even people who don’t normally listen to music for pleasure: it sounds good on an intrinsically human level. It’s more than just a talented musician on his instrument. Like all good music, it is more than the sum of its parts.
The rest of the album, unfortunately, finds Jenkinson showing his stuff when it comes to pure instrumentation, but lacks the punch-in-the-head “holy shit” factor that has made him such a legend (in certain circles.) I am comfortable saying this for a few reasons: firstly, Tom Jenkinson’s output has always been somewhat hit or miss, but you could usually count on at least 3 killer tracks on an album that would more than redeem the other 9 or 10 tossaway jams. So it isn’t like this is a complete surprise, and in no way do I feel like “he’s lost it” when listening to it. To put it another way: if I were the world’s biggest Guns n’ Roses fan around the time of Appetite…, and I saw what happened when Axl split off and Buckethead came into the picture, I would really be mourning as I penned the review to their new album. In the case of Just a Souvenir, I am slightly disappointed, but I do not feel that same sense of despair when you know an artist has really jumped the shark.
It should be noted that Just a Souvenir is a concept album. Some time between 2007 and 2008, Jenkinson had a vision of an interstellar band whose grooves impressed even him. I recommend you read the description found on squarepusher.net if you require further explanation; suffice it to say this album is Squarepusher’s tribute to the greatest musical performance he ever witnessed (presumably on acid, or possibly after one of those life altering moments everyone gets a handful of: “I fell down the stairs, saw god, and when I came to, I knew I just had to get busy writing that novel), and, while a valiant effort to recall the brilliance of what must have been the spectacle, it falls a little short of the eargasm one would expect after witnessing a guitarist whose instrument allows him to accelerate or decelerate time in his vicinity.
So yes, had I not received a promotional copy of Just a Souvenir for review, I still would have bought it (on the day it came out) and no, I would not regret my purchase. However, if one of my good friends came up to me having just heard “Beep Street” and was salivating for more, it is not necessarily the album I would recommend. As Squarepusher’s biggest fan/supporter I would feel compelled to point him/her in the direction of Ultravisitor or Selection 16, as I feel it would be in the ‘Pusher’s best interest to gain another hard core fan- and give him a little time to lay down another brilliant album- one that is more than just a souvenir.
Just a Souvenir is out now on Warp.
