Staff Reviews

Paul Haig - Relive

Review by Neil Ashman

Ultimately Relive is one for the hardcore Paul Haig fans only; the same people who own all his records released under the Rhythm of Life banner.»

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'relive' is the new album from paul haig, the former front man of cult post-punks josef k. marking haig's third new album in as many years, it's more evidence of a remarkable surge of creativity from the man who once vowed never to sing or perform on stage again. it's been 28 years since josef k released their one and only album 'the only fun in town', and much has changed for haig and for the world. what remains is haig's gift for off-kilter pop melodies, meticulously arranged guitars, spiky attitude and angst-ridden lyrics. at ten tracks and just over half an hour long, 'relive' is the kind of fat-free, brisk and brilliant album that haig and his peers have the patent for. conceived as a mini road movie, relive is more organic than his recent works, with less programming and more real-time playing with the aforementioned guitars at the core. born in edinburgh in 1960, paul haig has spent three decades as a music industry outsider. his band, josef k, were one of the most influential of the post-punk era, and have informed much of the indie music in the mid-2000s, from franz to bloc party. just this summer, at t in the park, former postcard records labelmate edwyn collins, malcolm ross and alex kapranos performed josef k's 'sorry for laughing', marking the band's long-lasting legacy. haig has since enjoyed a long solo career, and recently returned to playing live following a 20-year hiatus.
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