Future Clouds & Radar is the latest creation of Robert Harrison, of the great band Cotton Mather. Robert has basically evolved beyond the old Cotton Mather sound and what we get is a real gem of an double album here. “Birds of Prey” starts us off with lots of horns and odd drum work that is clearly indie pop friendly. The production work here is just stellar. Robert’s voice has a similar cadence to John Lennon and it helps make even pedestrian songs sound special. There is lots of stuff here, and most of it is excellent. The old Cotton Mather sound comes through on “Hurricane Judy” – a cool single full of nice little Beatle-isms, that makes this tune a joy to listen to. “Quicksilver” channels the ghost of Lennon’s “Oh My Love” just perfectly and makes an excellent ballad. In “Drugstore Bust” Robert uses lots of unique sound techniques and it’s got a great hook as well. This song my favorite on this album. “This is Really A Book” is a song with lots of sonic weirdness that play opposite to the main melody. Look out Robert Pollard, you have some real competition here. “You Will Be Loved” has a little string flourishes that recall the Bee Gees pre-disco glory. “Wake Up and Live” is a Reggae anthem given a cool pop treatment. “Our Time” is also an excellent song with classic jangle guitar riffs and melodic hooks. That mentioned, he tends to over indulge in some sonic weirdness like, “Devil no more” or “Letters to Junius.” On disk 2 “Get Your Boots On” continues with some great fuzz guitar and awesome harmonies. Disk 2 continues to deliver great songs like “Dr.No”, “Back Seat Silver Jet Sighter” and “Altitude” is sure to please old Cotton Mather fans. “Safety Zone” is a beautiful mid-tempo song that makes an excellent ending here. With a bit of editing this could have been a perfect tour de force, as it stands it’s merely really, really good and an album that needs time to be fully absorbed. It’s still one of the best I’ve heard this year so far.
Future Clouds and Radar Website | Amazon | Emusic
Listen to “Drugstore Bust”
Listen to “Quicksilver”