Roger Chapman - Life in the Pond (2021) [Hi-Res]

Released in 2021 on Ruf Records and Chappo Music, Life In The Pond draws a line under a period in which the 79-year-old had been absent from the studio but privately prolific. Twelve years since 2009's acclaimed rarities collection Hide Go Seek, "A true lionheart still roars," raved The Mirror, Life In The Pond reconnects the veteran with faces from his past including ex-Family multi-instrumentalist John 'Poli' Palmer as co-writer and producer.

Life In The Pond connects the dots between Chapman's founding influences. That eclectic roll call won't surprise anyone who has followed Chappo through his fascinating career, from the distinctive swirl of jazz, blues, folk, prog, and psychedelia on Family's classic 1968 debut album, Music In A Doll's House, to the tougher Americana-influenced stylings of Streetwalkers in the '70s. More than four decades later, Life In The Pond ties all those threads together, finding Chapman's voice in vintage form and his musical radar more receptive than ever, on a tracklisting that roams from hypnotic seven-minute epic "Nightmare #5" to "Rabbit Got The Gun's" dystopian soul-funk.

The world has turned a few times since '66, but Roger Chapman still has something to say and with Life In The Pond, his voice as an artist is more vital than ever. "I'm very pleased and grateful that Poli gave me the opportunity," he says, "because I think we came up with the goods on this album."