As one of the defining musicians of the 1990s Britpop era, Graham Coxon had absolutely nothing to prove. However, that hasn’t stopped the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from producing a huge range of solo material away from the band with whom he made his name. And that material has been as varied as it has been rewarding, from the folky garage rock of The Sky Is Too High and the indie classic Happiness In Magazines, to the predominantly acoustic The Spinning Top and beyond.

Along the way, Coxon has also honed his talent for crafting compelling soundtracks for film and TV, as with the hit shows I Am Not Okay With This and The End Of The F***ing World, and it is from this mould that his new release Superstate has been cast, albeit with a little bit of a twist. Rather than being a score for the screen, Superstate is the audio accompaniment for Coxon’s new graphic novel of the same name.

The idea is fantastic: fifteen different stories told visually with an accompanying track. The album itself carries a sort of disco feel, populated by synth and electro flourishes, as on the stirring opener Yoga Town. Uncle Sam has a big bassline and a funky feel, while Bullets is a sparse and atmospheric affair. I Don’t Wanna Wait For You is a high energy roller coaster of a track, and closer Listen is a sparkly, dreamy sign off. 

Coxon lists himself as a featured artist on Superstate, rather than attributing the record directly to himself, which serves to help think of each track as a story. But crucially, Superstate works as a standalone album away from it’s counterpart, an engaging and fun record in its own right. 

Superstate tracklist:

Yoga Town (featuring Graham Coxon and Valentina Pappalardo)
Uncle Sam (featuring Graham Coxon and Rahel Debebe-Dessalegne)
It’s All In Your Mind (featuring Graham Coxon and Rahel Debebe-Dessalegne) L.I.L.Y (featuring Graham Coxon)
Bullets (featuring Graham Coxon)
I Don't Wanna Wait For You (featuring Graham Coxon and Sharlene Hector)
The Astral Light (featuring Graham Coxon, Sharlene Hector and Valentina Pappalardo)
Heaven (Buy A Ticket) (featuring Graham Coxon and Vula)
The Ball Of Light (featuring Graham Coxon)
Tommy Gun (featuring Graham Coxon)
Goodbye Universe (featuring Graham Coxon and Valentina Pappalardo)
Butterfly (featuring Graham Coxon, Rahel Debebe-Dessalegne and Valentina Pappalardo)
We Remain (featuring Graham Coxon and Sharlene Hector)
Listen (featuring Graham Coxon and Valentina Pappalardo)

Watch the official video for Yoga Town (featuring Graham Coxon and Valentina Pappalardo) here. 

Author: Joe Sharratt

Joe Sharratt is a writer and journalist based in the UK covering music, literature, sport, and travel.