David Thomas Broughton and Juice Vocal Ensemble

This is a quite remarkable release.
This album has captivated BM on first and subsequent hearings.
DTB has a restrained but lugubrious voice, very individual, and is complimented by the harmonies of JVE. First track is a mordant meditation on life, one to muse on. ‘The Service’ is nothing short of genius, like Nick Cave meets John Shuttleworth (in a good way) and the harmonies are creaky, eldritch and bloody scary – this could be track of the year for BM, with due consideration, and really sorry for overdue review, was struggling how to express this in words, cause one can’t… just buy it, steal it, download it or grab it folks…(don’t normally say this).
Things get allegedly autobiographical, or maybe not, on second track ‘The Assurance’, not sure how seriously to take it but it sounds great, the tremolo of Marc Almond and other torch singers evident to BM but not perhaps the most accurate comparison.
All scratches, glitches and other live things are here for free.
Other subsequent tracks are equally as good.
Please Mr DTB, Betty will go all the way to welcoming for live gigs in Glasgow or anywhere – this is not the usual cup of tea, or any other drink but BM idol King Creosote could have some serious competition, a measured missile, straight to the heart – have heard it called folk, chamber, WTF, BM would call it “terrorising the country with close harmony singing”, to quote someone else.
Themes are historical, some universal, all are well thought out and absolutely spot on for this reviewer – all relevant to UK, Devoplus Scotchland, ROUK or wherever you are, or might want to be – sublime, ethereal (and we don’t use these words very much readers, so you know BM is quite worked up about this).
And ‘Unshaven Boozer’ is quite remarkable as well – another aural orgasm (can we say that?), and the whistling, oh no really…
BM signing off in ecstasy (quite overcome at this point, where did they find this guy, and the harmonious and whispering girls?).