Apparently not a proper follow-up to 1996's underrated Music for Adverts (And Short Films),
Unsavoury Products finds lone dog Ken Downie collaborating with Parisian poet and spoken-word artist Black Sifichi for a tribute to
William S. Burroughs. This one has much in common with Music for Adverts, from the lengthy track listing to an excellent production sense rooted in dark tribal electronics and a feel that's endearingly meandering. The wild card here is obviously Black Sifichi; his delivery alternates between an acrid growl and an uneasy smirk, and Downie's processing occasionally transforms it into tones roughly analogous to
Miles Davis on helium. Sifichi's disturbed ramblings -- on subjects from mental health to the modern work life to the Parisian underground to being a dog -- certainly add focus to
Unsavoury Products, though listeners may occasionally wish things weren't quite so clear. ~ John Bush