“A lot of this batch of songs is a reaction to the production stuff that I do,” says Jonathan Wilson of his new album Eat the Worm.

“It began to dawn on me: a lot of my friends and people that I really admire, when they get in the studio, they get much more conservative…. Sometimes you’ve got to take chances and resist the urge to dumb things down to the kind of humdrum album we’ve all heard. It’s got to be kind of strange.”

To that end, Wilson gave himself plenty of time to let the songs unfold over the course of the last two years. Having his own Fivestar Studios in Topanga Canyon, California also allowed him to devote as much time as he wanted to fine-tuning the tracks.

“There's a lot of experimentation, and almost none of the songs started as me with a guitar. I really wanted something that sounded fresh and new.”

“Sonically stunning... Like Harry Nilsson, Jack Nitzsche or Todd Rundgren, Wilson plays with tone, time and space, resulting in a lush, brainy record.” Shindig – 5 stars *****

“Thrilling... Stylistic Easter eggs confound and delight, hence the Zappa-esque glock flurry which violates bar-room ballad ‘Marzipan’, the trippy vocal of ‘Hollywood Vape’, and the cantering, light-orchestral thrills of ‘The Village Is Dead’... Eat The Worm’s wonderland gets curiouser and curiouser.” MOJO – 4 stars ****

“A cracking arty miscellany... Eat The Worm finds Jonathan Wilson back on more experimental, prog-psych-americana-soul terrain and is his most edifying release to date... The stately interludes of ‘Charlie Parker’ echo Pink Floyd at their lushest.” Record Collector – 4 stars ****

“Weird but oddly wonderful... idiosyncrasies abound, from the off-kilter fairground jazz of ‘Charlie Parker’ to the epic ‘Ridin’ In A Jag’”. Uncut – 7/10