Babar Luck - Care In The Community (Rebel Music) By Steve Rudd Release Date: March 13th 2006

Rewind a few years back into the early 90's, and a hugely original band called King Prawn was taking the underground music scene by the storm, especially on the back of superb albums such as Surrender To The Blender. Fast-forward back to the present day - 2006 - and the former King Prawn (RIP) bassist/ backing vocalist in the heavily-bearded Babar Luck has gone solo, now playing gigs on his own - armed with a guitar... though he does now and again perform shows with a small two-piece backing band, presenting a truly gorgeous collection of songs that grace his debut solo album, Care In The Community.

It's a stunning twelve-track affair that runs for forty-five minutes, opened by the upbeat and sublimely melodic vibes of 1 Love that sets the tone for the rest of this album. For those who don't know, Babar was born in Pakistan, and moved to London when he was eight. He says, I was raised in a liberal music background. In an area where we were outsiders we found great refuge in music. And now Babar is making great music of his own (even if was involved with co-writing many of the songs in the King Prawn sets of old, too).

Babar is eclectic in his ways, and a rich mix of musical genres magically coalesce throughout the course of Care In The Community, with the title track itself being a chart-friendly Alt.-rock anthem of sorts. The Right Game hears Babar pleading for a more tolerant world (There's more bad people than good, he laments) in a most epic and beautiful tune, before his Movies proves to be just as subtly mesmerising. Lions, meanwhile, is a spellbinding anthem, with Babar proving himself - for once and for all, without any shadow of a doubt - that's he's an extraordinary songwriter who deserves serious accolades and recognition for his work on this consistently surprising and amazing album.

As with the recent Tragedy Rocks album from The Crimea, Care in The Community is blessed with more melodies in this one 45-minute session than most bands/ artists manage to conjure up in an entire career. There really is not one bad song, with the reggae-rich laid-back cool of 101 Spiritual and the subtly touching acoustic-rooted wonder in My Friend Used To Be (A Mad Axeman) being other essential highlights. From start to finish, the lyrics are intriguing, the music is simply wonderful, and the songs themselves are simultaneously mature, sophisticated and tenderly life-affirming - should you care to purchase a copy for your records.

Release Date: March 13th 2006. E-mail james@caughtinthecrossfire.com. www.babarluck.com Babar Luck plays The Adelphi on Friday 24th February.

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