Peter Jefferies - Closed Circuit

The (second to) last great Peter Jefferies in a dull world! Grapefruit do the honourable thing of commiting 2001's Closed Circuit to vinyl for the first time, the final record of PJ's imperial era (which is the whole time, tbh) and the last one he was to sing on. Closed Circuit probably passed a lot of people by on first release - turn of the century trends, CD-only, small (albeit excellent) label with limited worldwide distro... But the music itself is as urgent as anything else in that esteemed catalogue. That gritty, desperate vocal facing up to the void, rolling piano balladry, and guitars that oscillate between hissing fury and the dolorously subdued. The kind of existential dread that feels more pertinent the longer the end of the world goes on (don't worry, we're nearly there now). The opening track is titled 'Time and the Singular Man'. There it is, that's your one line review. And in 'State of the Nation' and 'Ghost Writer' we might just have two of his heaviest and therefore best songs. Peter Jefferies records should never be out of print and should be in every home. There's your cue.