Remain In Light

Wherein T.Heads go beat crazy, complete the circle back to the continent which sent out the roots of much of what has since blossomed into contemporary popular music, and, amongst other things, create an album of the highest calibre body music.

This is worth stressing, since the circumstances surrounding its conception – folk falling little short of uttering words like 'concept' for example – might have suggested to some, an artefact that could prove to be less than approachable. With your present correspondent's knowledge of the complexities of African music being severely impoverished, one can only assume that, in terms of technical requirement, Eno and T. Heads have studied long and hard – but if it's a scholarly work, 'Remain In Light' is thankfully far from being stuffily academic. The Heads remain masters of music that democratically feeds the head, heart and the feet.

Side one comprises of three lengthy pieces 'Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)', 'Crosseyed And Painless' and 'The Great Curve' performed by the newly-augmented ensemble – a truly international rhythm band. All three have a shared purpose – impact through repetition, the disowning of conventional song structures freeing the instruments from constricted roles and allowing the protagonists to explore the possibilities of tone and texture.

Funkadelic afficionados will appreciate the convulsed deployment of space bass on all three, while ethereal floating vocal passages going against the intensely rhythmic grain constitute another repeated characteristic. With deadlines looming up fast, I've had to give these a less than thorough hearing – there's an awful lot here to assimilate – but each playing reveals new points of focus and an overall depth of intention which points to this record retaining its freshness long after the current competition has gone stale.

Side two is devoted to five, more clearly defined and rounded songs, though Afro rhythms and a genuinely funky thrust record throughout. 'Once In A Lifetime' has Byrne typically making everyday things seem dangerously surreal and the effect is further heightened by an ostensibly incongruous but beautifully worked call and response chorus which owes not a little to the Beach Boys. 'House In Motion' employs muted horns and a wicked 'Superstition' riff before ushering in the S.F. scenario of 'Seen And Not Seen'. Byrne recounts the cautionary tale of the man who attempts to obtain more desirable facial features, with his customary dry wit, while keyboards pulse over a dislocated beat and the ghost of a foreign melody makes a fleeting appearance.

Then, 'Listening Wind' a genuinely moving account of (perhaps) the native American who looks on as the white man exploits the land, and who rails against the constraint of bricks and mortar. "The wind in my heart/the dust in my hair" – the music sensitively captures the yearning and sense of loss of the song's central character.

'Remain In Light' coming after last year's redoubtable 'Fear of Music' (which in 'I Zimba' contained an etching flamboyantly coloured in on the new set) confirms Talking Heads brave sense of adventure, their refusal to pander to fashionable dictates and the big buck. It also proves that they've got talent equal to their ambition.

Since they refuse to meet anybody even half-way, I suggest you stock up the pennies and make the complete trip to darkest New York city yourself.