Scritti Politti: Anomie & Bonhomie

Green Gartside's transformation from underground favorite to pop superstar was one of the most welcome success stories of the '80s. Scritti Politti's Cupid & Psyche 85 remains one of that decade's brightest and sweetest moments, a wonderful song cycle featuring the luminous hit "Perfect Way" as its centerpiece. Gartside's follow-up Provision was a big flop; the 1988 album was as clever as its predecessor yet failed to capture its refreshing bliss. Gartside promptly vanished. Anomie & Bonhomie marks Scritti Politti's first new album in 12 years, though it would be misleading to call the album highly anticipated: Really, who was waiting Gartside, for his part, has obviously kept his ear to the ground throughout the last decade, and while the disc does feature the occasional pure pop song, Anomie & Bonhomie also includes fuzzy guitars and a fascination with hip-hop. While it's unexpected and more than a little bit jarring to hear Gartside's bright, multi-tracked vocals alongside rapper Mos Def or Me'Shell Ndegeocello, the risk does add some "urban" to his urbaneness. Sadly, even the album's best moments—"First Goodbye," "Mystic Handyman," "The World You Know (Is Over + Over + Over)," "Brushed With Oil, Dusted With Powder"—can't make up for the creative inertia. Bands in motion tend to stay in motion; bands at rest tend to stay at rest. Gartside's return comes well after everyone had written him off or forgotten about him, a disorienting comeback whose arrival still isn't quite here.