JONATHAN RICHMAN 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: The title of veteran singer-songwriter Jonathan Richman's latest EP, Yatasamaroun, is an Arabic word that, roughly translated, means 'lovers talking softly together in the moonlight'. It's perhaps fitting, then, that the title track is a gorgeously exotic, steamy and moonlit affair that fuses North African, Andalucian and Middle Eastern instrumentation with spoken word monologues and Arabic singing. It's a fine, intoxicating musical brew that makes an even greater impact in the included 'Extended Mix' form. Elsewhere across the CD single, 'En La Discoteca Reggaeton' is a jangling, bluesy chunk of global musical fusion that's bold and infectious enough to suggest that it could work on open-minded dancefloors, while 'I'm In a Dancing Mood' sees Richman add his David Byrne-esque lead vocals to a Flamenco-inspired workout.

Review: "I'm from the 60s, the time of "Louie Louie" and "Little Latin Lupe Lu"," Jonathan Richman memorably quips on the opening to his 1992 classic, 'I, Jonathan'. He then tells us those days are gone, but we can still have parties, and those parties can still carry the spirit of those days. Little does he know it's his attitude, rather than the parties, we all rely on to keep those fires alive.

Simply considering Richman as a nostalgist is missing the point. When this record arrived he was 41, and while much of his career had been dedicated to recreating doo-wap, rhythm and blues and early surf rock 'n' roll, he'd also been a staunch critic of what would now be labelled toxic masculinity and, on 1975's 'The Modern Lovers', helped steer guitar culture towards new punkish horizons. Even if he did so wearing the trappings of traditionalists. A true legend, here giving us one of his finest acoustic gems.