Jeff Raglus – Bellatrix
Bellatrix – Jeff Raglus
by Aidan Roberts
Who is Jeff Raglus’ One’s eyes may tweak with recognition when you see the cover art for this album, as Raglus’ mambo-esque off-kilter comic art has adorned Sydney’s streets for a long while now, turning up on everything from t-shirts and surfboards to gig posters to fine art galleries. Reflecting the steampunk-via-beach-mascots aesthetic of his drawings, Jeff Raglus’ debut solo album offers lilting little caricatures of modern living. The music traverses some obvious territory, but does it well; the title track Bellatrix with its high-as-kites breathy mantra is a nice nod toward the 1967 flower set, and he even has a go at early 70’s Floyd textures with the sprawling Mountain Girl. The whole thing is laced with glittering acoustic guitars, mariachi trumpets and phase-y vocals, well ensconced in a sort of casual irreverence for the world. Some of the tunes fall into a bit of a predictable pattern, so most of the intrigue comes from the sonic landscape that Raglus creates, almost like a soundtrack to his skewy art. Not an immediately gripping record but it is a gently rolling trip, and easily digestible as a whole.
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