David Sylvian: Dead Bees On A Cake

Since his final days as the frontman for the British New Romantic art-rock group Japan, David Sylvian has remained remarkably focused on a specific style of atmospheric post-Bowie crooning: Each Sylvian record exudes a Far Eastern sensuality, full of Buddhist flavor and patient, intricate arrangements. While his subdued vocals are obviously a big part of Sylvian's appeal, the music has often been more about mood and texture than actual songs. Still, the new Dead Bees On A Cake is one of his most diverse records. Perhaps it was Sylvian's relocation to America, but Dead Bees On A Cake—his first solo album since 1987's Secrets Of The Beehive—is an especially soulful affair. Then again, Sylvian's choice of collaborators has always played a big part in determining the sound of each of his projects. His work with Robert Fripp on 1993's The First Day, for example, was pretty abrasive, and Sylvian has since come to play down his participation on that album. Dead Bees On A Cake, a return to neo-ambient form, features a few Sylvian regulars, including Japan drummer/brother Steve Jansen, horn player Kenny Wheeler, and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. But it's hard not to think that the playing of two distinctly American guitar players—Bill Frisell, with whom Sylvian has collaborated before, and newcomer Marc Ribot—left a big impression on Sylvian. Frisell and Ribot both bring a sense of twisted Americana to his spiritual music, and if the result recalls a male Sade, Sylvian's vision is undeniably effective. Percussionist Talvin Singh makes hypnotic songs like "Krishna Blue" and "All My Mother's Names (Summers With Amma)" sing with authenticity, while "I Surrender" and "Godman" offer two different approaches to funk: The former is a ballad, the later a twisted vamp. While Sylvian's stylistic consistency ensures that none of the new album's compositions are especially surprising, it's good to hear this incomparable singer/songwriter at the top of his form.