Anyone who's already familiar with The Sleepy Jackson will be conscious of the fact that frontman and mastermind Luke Steele is a little.. ahem.. weird. Let's face it, with song titles such as 'Vampire Racecourse' and 'Fill Me With Apples' on their 2003 debut Lovers, you'd expect a modicum of quirkiness - and that's before the music kicks in. Yet, although that album was musically, largely a brew of lo-fi wayward pop and glam-country, the follow-up 'Personality - One Was A Spider, One Was A Bird' asserts its own - well, personality, onto the prototypal Sleepy Jackson sound. As the eccentric title suggests, there's nothing predictable or straightforward about Personality; its spacey psychedelic pop (You Needed More) can just as easily segue into a retro disco vibe (I Understand What You Want (But I Just Don't Agree)), which in turn concedes to a string-flooded gospel opus (Higher Than Hell).So many peculiarities and genres mashed into a 43 minute album means that there's a danger of becoming a cluttered melange; but while there's certainly a lot going on, the album somehow arranges itself into some semblance of harmony. Perhaps the best way to describe Personality is as a concept album without a concept; threading a similar vein to Mercury Rev's off-kilter compositions, with even Steele's vocal sounding uncannily akin to Jonathan Donahue at times, there are tales of ethereal love stories and skewed misadventures, though none with an apparent common theme. Where The Sleepy Jackson excel, however, is when they're throwing caution to the wind, composing overblown Scott Walker orchestral pomp (How Was I Supposed To Know), woozy classic disco anthems (the Kylie/Bee Gees-esque Play A Little Bit For Love) or the lushly-produced folk numbers (You Won't Bring People Down In My Town).Although at times it seems like Steele has bitten off more than he can chew - Personality is by no means a consummate album, perhaps in part, due to the ever-changing SJ line-up (Steele, along with Malcolm Clark are the only two permanent members of the Sleepy Jackson) - it's an enjoyable listen, a certified grower and proof that there are still some bands out there with aspirations for greatness. They haven't achieved it with this album, but it's a good start nonetheless.
