Pitchfork

As summer turned to fall last year, Kevin Ayers-- founding member of the pioneering experimental rock troupe the Soft Machine-- issued The Unfairground, his first album in a stupendously long time, in the UK, Europe, and Japan.

The disc is positively brimming over with guests, including, as I typed (and typed, and typed) way back when: Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera, members of Architecture in Helsinki, Neutral Milk Hotel/Music Tapes dude Julian Koster, former Gorky's Zygotic Mynci frontman Euros Childs, Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake and Francis MacDonald, Elephant 6-affiliated cellist Heather McIntosh, Daisy Martey of the Noonday Underground, Psychedelic Furs keyboardist Joe McGinty, singer Candie Payne, folkie legend Bridget St. John, Ayers' Soft Machine cohorts Hugh Hopper and Robert "The Wyattron" Wyatt, and members of the Ladybug Transistor, including the late San Fadyl. Phew!

Anyhow, somebody over there at Gigantic Music must've thought, "Man, that gigantic list of guest stars would befit our label quite nicely," as they issued The Unfairground in the U.S. today. Fair enough!

The Unfairground:

01 Wide Awake
02 Cold Shoulder
03 Walk on Water
04 Friends & Strangers
05 Brainstorm
06 Unfairground
07 Baby Come Home
08 Shine a Light
09 Run Run Run
10 Only Heaven Knows