Blair Jollands (El Hula), a white-suited New Zealander, has conjured up an epic and elegant debut, surprisingly produced by Strokes man Gordon Raphael. Jollands’ voice jets through shades of Scott Walker and Ziggy, and he only lets himself down with lapses into Cave-ian grunge. Most of this, like the arch-Associates swoon of “Bitter Girl”, is exceptional, big soul stuff. This year’s Rufus Wainwright, at least.
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