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ESSENTIAL NEW MUSIC

Essential New Music: Tim Burgess And Peter Gordon’s “Same Language, Different Worlds”

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Tim Burgess uses his time away from the Charlatans to collaborate and experiment. In 2012, he teamed with Kurt Wagner and other Lambchops for Oh No I Love You. Now, the British singer has partnered with Peter Gordon for Same Language, Different Worlds. Gordon is a veteran of the New York avant-garde scene who worked with Arthur Russell in the mid-’70s, and he drafted some other players from that era for the album, including bassist Ernie Brooks and trombone player Peter Zummo.

Same Language does indeed use some of Russell’s same language, or rather languages, as well as that of Eno/Byrne’s My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts and of LCD Soundsystem. “Begin,” an ode to music and records, is compact and catchy, but most songs stretch beyond six minutes; “Temperature High” runs more than 12. “Around” builds on a synthesizer pulse and Burgess’ talk/sung vocals, then layers it with congas and horns; “Unguarded” wraps Burgess’ vocals in a world of echo. Same Language is excellent ersatz Russell.

—Steve Klinge