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Jez Buzzing - Guitars

Mike Miller - Vocals, 12 String Acoustic, Keyboard, Drum programing, Drum samples

Laurence Pendrous - Piano/Keyboard

Ewan J. Shotter - Bass,Backing Vocal(End Of The Bad Guys)

Special Guest Vocal - Wrekonize (Native World)

Mark Merifield - Backing Vocal(End Of The Bad Guys)
Liza Hayden - Backing Vocal(The Moment)

Produced by Kahel
recorded at venancia studios (june 09' to jan 10')

Lyrics - Miller
Music - Buzzing/Miller/Pendrous/Shotter
except 5 Miller,Pendrous,Shotter
4,8 Miller/Shotter

IMperfect's fifth studio album is perhaps their most demanding, most accessible, most simple and yet most complex work yet. But then again, IMperfect have never been one to play by the rules. If previous releases Counsel Of Excellent Truth and Man For All Seasons really shaped the IMperfect sound (imagine if you can a blend of jazz, ambient, rock and adult pop) then Native World absolutely nails their essence. The core has always been Mike Miller (vocals and 12 string acoustic) and Ewan Shotter (bass), but with the full addition of Lawrence Pendrous (piano) and Jezz Buzzing (electric and acoustic guitars) to the line-up, everything has fallen into place. The newbies who cut their teeth on The Man... are let out to shine, each alternating their leads over Shotter's bass melodies that often feel as if they could be a lead part themselves.

The beating heart of IMperfect is still Mike Miller. His songwriting and arrangements remain complex and challenging, urging repeat listening to explore the layers of instrumentation, false starts, fake endings, and unexpected changes in direction. But for every epic like Slow War Dance or dark inversion of regular song structures like End Of The Bad Guys, there's the rapid fire twinkle of On The Run or classic pop of Circus Town. So while Native World is both lyrically and musically mature, it never forgets to be either entertaining or satisfying. And it's to the credit of everyone concerned, especially enigmatic producer Kahel, that it's never to the detriment of the tune or the message and the message is essential to Imperfect's work: hopeful, understanding, positive – somewhat rare to find these days.

The genesis of Native World lies in the closing track on Man For All Seasons which also forms the prelude to this album. And behind that lies a story that Mike will only tell you if you buy him a drink or two, perhaps over a couple of rounds of backgammon. The rest of the songs fell into place throughout the mid part of 2009, each track, as always in IMperfect's world, growing and shaping itself organically until fully grown and realised. Some merely needed a little encouragement whilst others, Bad Guys particularly, twisted and turned through several incarnations before finally becoming the piece you hear before you.

The search for an album title was perhaps the most difficult part of the recording, constantly changing with each new version of the songs, different tracks vying for the lead position. Having settled on Native World, and aren't we all natives of this beautiful planet, it was all good (as they say round these parts). Except it wasn't. There was something missing - a title track after all. Native World, the track, emerged almost complete, a blissful fusion of ambience and jazz for a summer's day that perhaps encapsulates all that is IMperfect. All it took to complete was the addition of celebrated Miami rapper, Wreckonize, who also happens to be Mike's son – proving that talent can be genetic. For those who know Imperfect's work, Wreckonize name checks a number of past IMperfect moments as his words dance and rhyme blissfully over this “perfect song”.

With spring unfolding, the earth warming and summer seemingly not far away, it seems a perfect time for Native World to appear on our stereos and MP3 players. Thoughtful and thought provoking, a song for every occasion; as long, of course, as every occasion is a good one.

Somwehere along the Thames, Spring 2010
The Scribe

Photography - Trish Gant

Thanks to Kirby Sattler for use of Native American painting.

Don't ask (it's forbidden to know) what final fate the gods have
what end the gods will give me or you, Leuconoe. Don't play with Babylonian
fortune-telling either. It is better to endure whatever will be.
Whether Jupiter has allotted to you many more winters or this final one
which even now wears out the Tyrrhenian sea on the rocks placed opposite
be smart, drink your wine. Scale back your long hopes
to a short period. While we speak, envious time will have {already} fled
Seize the day and place no trust in tomorrow.

Carpe Diem

Horace

©2010

© IMperfect 2005

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