Peepers is the fourth Polar Bear release, and if drummer Seb Rochford's compositions have inclined towards the gratuitously quirky on previous occasions — a gritty combination of Henry Cow complexity and Thelonious Monk-like angular bop — here a relaxed, spontaneous, optimistic vibe predominates, borne out by titles such as "Happy For You," "A New Morning Will Come" and "Want To Believe Everything." Rochford has assembled an eclectic mixture of old and young players from London's jazz scene that reflects a growing permissiveness within improvised music — a roll call that includes the idiosyncratic laptop musician Leafcutter John. Their earthy blowing, open-hearted 'head' tunes and devil-take-it, funkified improvising call to mind early '70s jazz rockers such as Soft Machine, Hatfield and the North or Nucleus.

"Hope Every Day Is a Happy New Year" is a good example of Peepers's sound. It begins with a scurrying ensemble section (imagine a garage-punk band covering an early Ornette Coleman tune); then a guttural sax solo takes over, punctuated by Leafcutter John's splinter-harmonics on electric guitar. Rochford hustles the whole thing along with a vigorous pulse, veering chaotically from hyperactive bebop to demented rockabilly. Leafcutter John's wildcard presence is indispensable throughout; his versatility on electric guitar… read more »