John Cale - Extra Playful EP

Lock up your leeks, here comes the Welsh Wizard with a surprise 12" on Domino of all places. Now call me a silly sausage if you like but I've never once delved beyond 'Paris 1919' with regard to Johnny Viola's solo work. I'm too worried about upsetting myself. I'd have pretty much reach my grisly death happy having only heard that extraordinary song cycle alongside his delightful work for Nico. So anyway I had no idea what to expect of this. The opening track sounds like a man half his age (45?) coming on all Interpol-like in the opening bars, blasting through a choppy singalong with dark, angry undertones. Not a bad start. The funny thing about the second track 'Whaddya Mean By That' is that it sounds uncannily similar to what I'd imagine REM sounding like in 2025. A mid-paced effort with a reasonable melody and some nice backwards keyboard motifs. Whisper it quietly in the valleys but this doesn't sound unlike something off some Lou Reed album or other. I really don't know what to make of 'Hey Ray'. A gospelish number with John's scatting/rapping coming across inadvertantly like Flight of the Conchords. Weird. By track 4 he's singing in French and to close proceedings there's some kind of improvement with a dark art-rock piece with a rousing chorus which although hamstrung by squealing guitars at least is a sensible attempt.