Police

After the glossy, almost baroque production of his second album, "Never Never Love," Pop Levi decided it was time to get back to basics. Recruiting new drummer Hayden Scott and dragging along lieutenant and longtime bass player Lucky Beaches, Pop retreated to the Californian desert near Joshua Tree to spend his Christmas recording. The first results are the tracks on this single. This is just about the rawest Pop has ever sounded, a rudimentary garage rock driving him forward as though he's channeling the spirit of the Stooges through his own "magickal" systems. "Police $ign," a rough blues, is, in Pops words, "about a roller-skating femme-fatale who uses constabulary equipment to get what she wants." "Terrifying" is dedicated to one of Pops heroes, underground filmaker Kenneth Anger, and was written while watching his "Invocation of My Demon Brother." Over slashing guitar chords, Mr Levi screams his love in a falsetto sance voice. The man sounds re-energised here. He has just finished supporting Fujiya and Miyagi in the USA and is ready to hit the road with this stripped down, filthy sound. He's mad and just possibly a genius. And as long as he continues making music this good, who cares.