Tosca - J.A.C.

Fatherhood turns the life of a man upside down. Especially during his primal years. Suddenly there is someone in the house who needs to be taken care of 24-7. And, there are new sciences to be mastered: Swaddling, the cooking of baby food and dealing with the troubles of teething. In short: A new man is born. That is also why three male names (albeit abbreviated) grace the title of the fourth album by Tosca, ''J.A.C.'' which stands for "Joshua, Arthur, Conrad". These are the names of the sons of the two Viennese producers Rupert Huber and Richard Dorfmeister, a.k.a. Tosca. Between the release of their last album "Dehli 9" and their new masterpiece, the two became fathers, Rupert Huber even twice. As all Tosca albums relate to biographic events in the life of Huber and Dorfmeister, the birth of their sons was naturally the most appropriate for an album dedication. Thus, "J.A.C." is not music for babies. Rather, music for ladies. Moreover, the album is perhaps the most consistent formulation of the both carefree and melancholic sound of Tosca. The melodies quicken, the grooves are funky and laidback and the variety of musical styles are marked by a wide choice. The album breathes the characteristic sound of Tosca, yet it is shaped by a fresh understatement and a breathtaking musical authenticity. Moreover, there are new voices on "J.A.C.". The Egyptian-French singer Samia Farah from Paris sings with her Billie Holiday-esque voice on the wonderful "Heidi Brühl". Chris Eckman, lead singer with Seattle based band The Walkabouts sings on "John Lee Huber", a track for which Eckman paraphrised a John Lee Hooker-Song on Rupert Huber. Additionally - as heard on Dehli 9 - the former Rockers Hi-Fi MC Farda P, London´s Earl Zinger and the Austrian rock legend Graf Hadik appear on the microphones. To put it short: "J.A.C." is a great piece of music and an excellent new Tosca album.