Eleven years have elapsed since underground prog- rock hero Robert Wyatt released the horrendous Old Rottenhat before putting together another solo album. Following Pitchfork's policy of not doing any research whatsoever, I can't tell you what he did in the time that's passed (one can presume that eating and talking figured prominently). Whatever the facts, Shleep proves that the time away did him good. Whereas Old Rottenhat and its predecessor, Nothing Can Stop Us, were like a nose- picking cousin, Shleep is quirky like a squirrel on amphetamines. That is to say, this record is a bit bizarre, but worth your time if you're feeling so inclined.

The big advance is that Wyatt has allowed live, jazzy instrumentation to dominate the songs. Despite the fact that he has been paralysed since the early 1970s, Wyatt is an accomplished and unique drummer (as well as a trumpeter and keyboardist), and his talents here play a larger role than they ever did in his previous solo exploits. That combined with expert guest appearances by Brian Eno, Paul Weller and a host of lesser- known, but equally adept musicians makes for an interesting jumble of sonic frottage. It's way better than that half- assed keyboard wank he previously indulged in.

Shleep's mostly jazzbo bent makes for some nice little ditties. "Maryan" begins with lightly picked guitars and Wyatt's soft trumpet work before a spooky violin gently intrudes on the song's momentum. "September The Ninth" is a wonderfully subdued, jazz- influenced piece that features svelte keyboard drones. The album's closer, "The Whole Point of No Return," is written by mod god Paul Weller and lays a heavily effected trumpet melody over a vocal hum. Inbetween these highlights, Wyatt conjures all sorts of absurd and interesting pop songs, some of which shimmer with happy exuberance. Other songs, like the slightly cloying "The Duchess," however, are too damn perky for their own good.

The moral of this story? Cheese is just soured milk before it becomes edible. Ignore the bulk of Wyatt's earlier stuff and give a Shleep a try. It has, after all, been 26 years in the making.

-Samir Khan