In the five solo albums since 2010’s debut Queen of Denmark, singer-songwriter John Grant has employed his storytelling baritone in a number of guises. From downtempo, guitar-strummed folk to programmed synths on 2015’s Grey Tickles, Black Pressure and the eerie electronic textures of 2021’s Boy from Michigan, a new Grant album typically heralds a sound few expect.
His sixth album, The Art of the Lie, follows suit. Supplanting folk for funk and cloaking his silky voice in layers of vocoder, these 11 tracks present a glorious new direction. Opener All That School for Nothing sets an infectiously grooving tone, pairing an earthy bass line with Grant’s synthesised voice, invoking P-funk master George Clinton. Album highlight It’s a Bitch continues the funk odyssey while Grant sardonically expounds on life’s trials.
