Julian Fane - Our New Quarters (CD)

All Music Guide

To get one thing out in the open immediately: Julian Fane sounds like Thom Yorke. Not in a bad budget compilation imitative way, but his breathy falsetto and semiindecipherable delivery immediately opens up inevitable comparisons. And while many of the tracks also bear a slight resemblance to OK Computer era Radiohead or Sigur Ros, Fane doesn't just go for the easy soundalike. He also brings in influences from new wave and post punk eras to give the songs more of an upbeat and vivid feel than the aforementioned comparisons. These are simple, melodic pop songs that are haunting, and while there's nothing groundbreaking, Fane does the job very well. It's also a bold departure for Planet Mu, which has been branching out its styles for the past several years away from their frantic signature IDM sound and into different territories. But this departure might alienate those who just want to hear muziq and his army of glitchy minions ad infinitum. Those willing to look past such trivial things will find Our New Quarters a refreshing and exciting listen.

- Rob Theakston, All Music Guide