James Lavelle's
UNKLE project has offered virtually everything to its fans and the listening public -- virtually everything, except for great music.
UNKLE full-lengths seem primed to make a major impact on music and culture. They're packed with high concept, dense with thematic elements ripped from the headlines (especially the war in Iraq), and this time out, include an artwork-packed booklet (featuring
Massive Attack's
Robert del Naja,
Ben Drury, and
Will Bankhead). The fact that the music has never fulfilled its expectations, despite the undeniable talents of everyone involved, points to a too-many-cooks problem.
War Stories finds the group, a core duo of
Lavelle and
Richard File, enlisting major production help from
Chris Goss.
Goss' work with
Masters of Reality and
Kyuss made the California/Arizona desert a haven for progressive metal, and its influence is all over this record. Fellow desert rat
Josh Homme reprises his role from the last
UNKLE full length, along with
del Naja (as
3D), indie rockers
Autolux, English neo-garage band
the Duke Spirit, and finally,
Ian Astbury (like
Lavelle, another Englishman apparently fascinated with the American Southwest).
Astbury's vocals on "Burn My Shadow" and "When Things Explode" make for a pair of highlights; they're one of the few points on
War Stories when a hint of personality threatens to overwhelm the many tenebrous guitars and gloomy, plaintive vocals. Newcomer
Gavin Clark also shines as a stand-in for
Jeff Buckley, but amid the many features and incredible dynamism that mark every
UNKLE full-length, there are no songs to grab onto and little of real essence. [Some editions also included a bonus disc with instrumentals.]