In the mid 2000s, David Sylvian collaborated with his brother Steve Jansen, and producer Burnt Friedman, under the group name Nine Horses, producing one album, and this EP (although at 33 minutes before you get to the repeat 'alternative mix tracks') it's longer than many albums.
In reality, there are only three new songs here, and three Friedman remixes of songs from the Snow Borne Sorrow album.
So, it this a Sylvian solo album under a new name? Not quite. There's a markedly different sound to his solo albums, while his distinctive vocals are obviously up front, and it's far more mainstream accessible than his solo work if the time, albums like Blemish and Manofon.
Money For Nothing is a lovely soulful song, followed by Get The Hell Out, a bit more stripped down and an electronica/dance feel. There's a folky opening to the lovely The Banality Of Evil, again, quite minimalist, with some forceful guitar acting as counter to Sylvian's gentle vocals. It does, however, feel like it outstays its welcome and fades into he background after the first five minutes. Wonderful World, on the other hand, feels like a warm blanket, gently enveloping the listener, with bitter-sweet lyrics, and a fantastic vocal addition from Stina Nordenstam. A second vocal outing for Nordenstam, Birds Sing For Their Lives, isn't as engaging or easy to listen to, while Serotonin ends the EP (apart from remix repeats), gentle, pleasant, but not as powerful as earlier tracks. The remixes of Money For Nothing and Get The Hell Out don't seem hugely different to those which started the EP.
This is a worthwhile addition to the Sylvian discography, without being one of his great albums, but it's an enjoyable half hour's listening.
3* - a good album, certainly worth a listen, without much that makes you sit up and take notice
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