Peter Ulrich Collaboration - The Painted Caravan

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 28 / 4 / 2013

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Review

Peter Ulrich is mostly known for being the drummer with Dead Can Dance from 1983 to 1990. He also drummed on 4AD supergroup This Mortal Coil's 1986 second album, 'Filgree and Shadow'. He went solo in 1999, and 'The Painted Caravan' is his third album under his own name. It is a wonderful piece of work with the depth of a beautiful painting, and kicks off with 'In this or Other Skin', which has an old folk-style swagger and a Celtic style similar to early Starsailor, but is played with the pace of John Lennon's 'Working Class Hero'. 'Pureland' is more ethereal, like the Cocteau Twins in folk groove. It takes you to somewhere very special and a different place. 'The Secret Gardener' jangles perfectly with great Rickenbackers, but again is mystical in flavour, like a decent 60's piece of experimental rock. It is both odd and magical. 'Dark Lover' has a gypsy feel with vocals the best side of PJ Harvey from mian vocalist Sara Wendt. 'Starship (Golden Eye)' has the drive of a modern updated 'Space Oddity', but also has a country element. 'Children of the Rain' is a rose-tinted, flower power, acoustic number. 'Drug of War' is a political statement, played out on acoustic guitar, but sung as a hard duet like Michael Stipe and Patti Smith between Wendt and the Peter Ulrich Collaboration's other vocalist, David Steele. 'Hanging Man' again has the swing of a 60's protest song, and, delivered in massive black and white cinemascope, is sung from the hanging man's point-of-view. 'Fanfare for the Lost Tribe' again has an oddball vibe and is ike a lost outtake from the soundtrack to the 1973 cult shocker, 'The Wicker Man'. 'The Desert' is like a trippy combination of R.E.M. and the Beatles at the time of 'Revolver'. 'Love's Skeleton'is another Starsailor-flavoured sing-a-long number, while 'Tempest', which ends the album, is an oriental-glavoured and somewhat slocore number, a gentle headbopper of grace and style. 'The Painted Caravan' is an often challenging album, but one which proves very much worth the journey time.

Track Listing:-

1 In This or Other Skin
2 Pureland
3 The Secret Gardener
4 Dark Lover
5 Starship (Golden Eye)
6 Children of the Rain
7 Drug of War
8 Hanging Man
9 Fanfare for the Lost Tribe
10 The Desert
11 Love's Skeleton
12 The Tempest

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/UlrichMusic/
http://www.citycanyons.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ThePaintedCar

Label Links:-

https://marketsquarerecordings.bandcam