"A fine debut effort that bodes well for the future.."

Four years after the final Jane’s Addiction album “Strays”, Perry Farrell returns to the public eye with a new band (Satellite Party), a new album, and erm, the former guitarist for poodle-haired spandex rockers Extreme.

Thankfully “Ultra Payloaded” betrays none of the potentially appalling generic rock tendancies of that forgotten band. Instead, “Ulta Payloaded” is possibly the most commercial album Perry has yet put his name to. Sounding like a cross between his somewhat unusual rock-techno solo work, and the quirky, spiky Porno For Pyros, “Ultra Payloaded” is a bulging grab-bag of stuttering rhythms, effectively grating rock guitar, and Farrell’s own, often otherwordly, echo-drenched vocals. Add in stomach-rumbling, unique basslines of New Order’s Peter Hook on a couple of songs, and you have what sounds like, on paper, the ultimate musical hybrid

Satellite Party isn’t the answer to all your musical prayers. What it does have, largely by virtue of Farrell’s unique vision, is an accomplished, confident sound. Lead single “Wish Upon A Dog Star” is the sound of Jane’s Addiction and New Order having a baby. It sounds that good. Farrell implores the spirit of the sun and heaven to make all your dreams come true as the sun sets in colours that don’t even exist yet. Really it is just a soaring, spiritual vocal welded to drums, guitar, bass and an ethereal choir.. but it is the soundtrack to a dreamer on the quest to save the world. It sounds like a mellow stoned version of Jane’s Addiction. The familiar themes of spiritual realisation and the liberation of the groove are allowed full opportunity to get lost in the thrill of the moment. On occasion, Farrell’s lyrics veer towards the simplistic (“Kinky” and “Celebrate” in particular offer nuggets of trite genius).  “Awesome” could be the most heartfelt and touching song Farrell has ever written – a simple and gentle lullaby to well, something awesome, in fact.

Generally, dumb rock clichés are dropkicked into submission by a literate music that understands it’s not only what you say that matters – it’s what you don’t say.

Unfortunately, the final song of the album undoes a lot of the good work : an unreleased Jim Morrison song – “Woman In The Window” is exhumed in an act of redundant and pointless artistic graverobbing, bent out of shape by Farrell’s band, and a poor imitation of the famous Doors organ sound is forced out in a desperate attempt to add credibility. After forty minutes of transcendary music from a gifted visionary, it’s a great shame that the grand finale is the incoherent, can’t-be-arsed semi-mumbling of a stoned, bloated alcoholic who died almost forty years ago and wouldn’t shut up about his cock, lizards, and drinking. Farrell chips in the occasional backing vocal, but it’s too late to salvage this rubbish : the last sounds are of a dead man pretending to be a hooker, enticing sixties businessmen to come up to his/her/it’s room where he/she/it will strip for a while. The strong and solid foundation of the rest of the album is undone by a blowjob from a corpse. It also sets a disturbing precedence. How long before all of Kurt Cobain's rehearsal tuning screeches are ‘artistically reimagined’ into a 40 minute guitar solo and given a dated techno backing?

Some songs remain in vaults for at least 37 years for a damn good reason. The final mis-step aside, “Ultra Payloaded” is a fine debut effort that bodes well for the future. Should Farrell maintain this lineup and their vision, the next album could very well see the potential of this embryonic band fulfilled with stunning results.

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