In my opinion, one of the finest albums released in the 90’s was the 1992 debut album Back in Denim, by Denim. Fronted by cult musical legend Lawrence, previously in Felt, Back in Denim was his homage to the 1970s, with stomping, big glam rock sounds and a knowing throw back into the past with its feet firmly planted in the nascent Britpop scene. Despite touring with Pulp in the 90’s, Denim never quite took off, and ended up one of the lost 90’s classics.
Lawrence has never stopped making music and is the UK’s greatest lost musical hero – and has had a renaissance recently with an acclaimed documentary about his career and current projects. Tower Block in a Jam Jar is his latest musical endeavour with his current band Mozart Estate, previously Go-Kart Mozart, and features reworkings of Go-Kart Mozart tracks in a contemporary style.
When he was in Denim, Lawrence said he wanted to write big pop singles, and that is the ethos that is carried through on this album. Twelve tracks of classic pop which, for fans of the Denim album, will absolutely love as it continues very much in that vein. One track, Listening to Marmalade, sounding like an offcut from that era.
Lawrence has a way with words and an eye for the lyrical, hence tracks like Selfish & Lazy & Greedy with its cynical narrator’s world view married to a great tune. The 80’s ‘tastic’ Lorra Lorra Laughs With Cilla, will no doubt pass a lot of the current pop kids by! His view of hanging on the streets is encapsulated in tracks like Donna And The Dope Fiends, Transgressions and City Centre, whilst that fantastic glam rock back-beat is married to an almost military sound on the wonderful chant of On A Building Site.
This is a fantastic record which is incomparable to anything else released last year. Lawrence continues to be an idiosyncratic, iconoclastic, and unique songwriter, and there is no-one quite like him making music. This is a fun, intelligent and well-crafted album that flows and has no duff tracks on it. I would go so far to say that this is one of the best albums released last year, and is a worthy sequel to the Denim album. Apparently this is the first in a run of reworking older material, which if this is anything to go by is a journey that would be worth going on.
TRACK LISTING
01. Summer Is Here (3:17)
02. Selfish & Lazy & Greedy (2:34)
03. Fuzzy Duck (4:06)
04. Electric Rock And Roll (3:51)
05. A Lorra Laughs With Cilla (2:18)
06. Glorious Chorus (3:05)
07. Donna And The Dope Fiends (3:01)
08. Delta Echo Echo Beta Alpha Neon Kettle (1:56)
09. Transgressions (1:43)
10. On A Building Site (2:04)
11. Listening To Marmalade (3:05)
12. City Centre (3:41)
Total Time – 34:45
MUSICIANS
Lawrence (Hayward) – Guitar, Vocals
~ No other musicians listed
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Cherry Red Records | BRUM7
Country of Origin: UK
Date of Release: 17th October 2025
LINKS
Mozart Estate – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp (at Cherry Red Records) | Info at Cherry Red Records | Instagram
