Robert Wyatt, Comicopera (side C)

2003's Cuckooland has always felt, to me, weaker than most Robert Wyatt records—it seems more like an exploration of new ideas than one of his definitive classics.  2007's Comicopera maintains some of these ideas, but brings them back into the amazing framework established with Shleep.  There are a lot fewer references to a mid-80s early digital synthesizer palette, but the contrast between synthetic and organic that was so central to Cuckooland is maintained here.  Unlike Shleep, Wyatt branches out to singing in many languages on both originals and standards.  The recording and pressing both sound amazing, despite much of the tracking having been done in Wyatt's home—I do wish the frequency balance had a bit thicker midrange.  The packaging is great too, with thick reverse-stock inner and outer sleeves, lyrics on a folding insert card, and a poem etched on the back of the second disc instead of grooves and music.