Paul Draper
Spooky Action

The most attentive among you to global recording affairs will surely remember the curious case of "Chinese Democracy," the Guns N' Roses album considered the most anticipated in rock history. Put into production in the late '90s, it saw the light after an endless series of delays, lineup changes, live previews, and rumors; all of it contributed to making it a cult object, which quickly deflated right after its release, considering that it turned out to be a decent album of pompous rock and little more.

There you go. "Spooky Action," the first solo album by former Mansun frontman Paul Draper, was somewhat the "Chinese Democracy" of British indie rock. But let's proceed in order. During the recording of Mansun's fourth album (later canceled and subsequently released in the box set "Kleptomania"), Draper was diagnosed with a malignant tumor. After a successful cycle of chemotherapy, Draper began to slowly reappear in the music world, first collaborating with former Skunk Anansie frontwoman Skin on writing some tracks for her second solo album "Fake Chemical State" (including the beautiful single "Just Let The Sun"), then sporadically participating in other solo projects.

In 2013, he finally announced that he was working on a solo album, titled "Spooky Action At A Distance," but would only release it if there was significant interest. A petition signed by fans finally convinced him, and after producing and co-writing the debut album of singer-songwriter The Anchoress, the album (with the title shortened to "Spooky Action") finally saw the light after the release of two excellent EPs.

Five of the eleven total tracks include the participation of The Anchoress again, who often joins in on backing vocals: among these, the very ambitious opener "Don’t Poke The Bear" (released as the first promotional track), a piece nearly seven minutes long filled with prog infatuations and remarkable vocal walks by Draper (who has truly grown vocally since the days of his former band). More or less in the same vein is "Friends Make The Worst Enemies," presented here in an extended version compared to the one previously published on the EP.

There are also tracks that follow a more canonical course, like the anticipated "Grey House" (teased by some snippets circulating online for years), with its almost U2-like start and the progressively enriching arrangement as the song progresses. "Feeling My Heart Run Slow" increases the bpm by taking advantage of the bouncy synthesizer rhythm, and the splendid "Jealousy Is A Powerful Emotion" (one of the best offerings on the album) shines in its epicness and richness of the sound proposal presented.

There is even a track co-written by Mansun's guitarist, Dominic Chad; it's not a reunion, but a piece written during the time of the former band, "Feel Like I Wanna Stay," a sprightly Britrock track reminiscent of the all-too-quickly forgotten Dodgy.

Elsewhere, Draper doesn't shy away from engaging in classy radio-friendliness: "Things People Want," not coincidentally chosen as the first official single, in the hands of a more renowned name would be a sure hit, while "Who’s Wearing The Trousers" and "Can’t Get Fairer Than That" focus more on groove and less on immediacy, just as "You Don’t Really Know Someone, Til You Fall Out With Them" brings us to a high complexity in arrangement.

Great album, this "Spooky Action," a great comeback that we hope will help Paul Draper make up for the time unjustly lost.

Best track: "Don’t Poke The Bear"