Luke Haines is one of English music’s true eccentrics. That was clear enough when he formed The Auteurs in the ’90s, but the 45-year-old has outdone himself with his latest solo effort. On ‘Rock N Roll Animals’, Haines has turned three musical icons (Sham 69’s Jimmy Pursey, songwriter/producer Nick Lowe and rock’n’roll legend Gene Vincent) into animals (a fox, a badger and a cat respectively). Their surreal tale of friendship is played out to a soundtrack of fairytale folk. It’s a bit nuts, but the ominous, shimmering psychedelia of standout tracks ‘Three Frendz’ and ‘Angel Of The North’ elevate the album beyond a quirky, Watership Down-esque curiosity.
Mischa Pearlman