AYERS, KEVIN
the unfairground

the pioneer of the british psychedelic scene returns with his first studio album in 15 years accompanied by the artists he inspred like teenage fanclub, ladybug transistor, candie payne and euros childs. also featured is long time musician and close friend hugh hopper from his soft machine days. ayers ambles through these gently beguiling songs like an old rogue who has fallen into the company of some indulgent new friends. robert wyatt guests as the wyattron, a heavily treated harmony on 'cold shoulder' that recalls eno's metamorphosis into the enotron on wyatt's own records. phil manzanera, another of wyatt's crew, adds some faintly threatening freak-out in the background of 'brainstorm'. best of all, the elusive bridget st john duets on 'baby come home', a romantic gambol with the rich brass band trim that's a hallmark of this whole, immensely pleasant record.