It been a long time since The Bolshoi, but the good news is that there's nothing on Eaten By The Sea that would scare errant fans. Trevor isn't like Sting and gone all jazz. Indeed opening song "Sirens" - its mix of insistent strummed acoustic guitars and surging synths - wouldn't sound out of place on Friends or Lindy's Party. As ever, there's a way with words, this time on a piratical theme. "Eaten By The Sea" has the atmosphere of Justin Sullivan's solo work, not just thematically, but also in the use of slide guitar. This is the more thoughtful side of Tanner's work. It's music with which to drift into reverie.

There's a country feeling to "Pretty Too". It's the sort of song you could imagine sung around a campfire, with everyone gathered singing the chorus enthusiastically. The Levellers might play a song like this. All it would need is a fiddle. "Lemmings" continues the mellow tone. There's more slide guitar, which adds atmosphere to a song that straddles the line between New Model Army and Jack Johnson. That line is, I grant you, quite a long one. Acoustic guitar leads "Poseur's Curse", which gives the song a strong Bolshoi feeling. The synth is resolute too. Lyrics are memorable, such as 'I like Patty Smith Lou Reed Television/I once had an audition for Eurovision.' No doubt inspired by two-face losers he has encountered in his musical career, this is the mirror universe version of The Arctic Monkey's "Brianstorm".

Creating irony by mixing light music with dark lyrics is usually a good way to ensure a song has emotional impact. This is true in the case of "Lunchbox", which musically sounds serene and magical, but the words tell of a child being shot in a playground. Once the 'accident' has happened the music takes a discordant turn, before grinding to a halt, as if the whole world is falling apart. Just in case he has depressed us, Trevor wheels on a Bolshoi slice of pop in the form of "Dirty Jokes". Once again Trevor turns to the silver screen for inspiration (just as he turned to the small screen on classic Bolshoi track "T.V. Man"). He rails against political correctness, without suggesting he actually reads The Mail newspaper. He may have labelled himself a 'truculent bigot' who 'revels in scum' but here he strikes a pose for people who don't want to confirm with what is seen as 'proper'. It also includes the imprecation to 'sing with Trevor' which for some reason makes me laugh each time I hear it.

Showing his inability to be predictable or play by the rules, Trevor serves us a cover of The Bee Gees' "New York Mining Disaster 1941", which he has re-titled "Mr Jones". It's a curious song, given a fresh coat of paint. I do have a desire to hear Stayin' Alive or Saturday Night Fever given the Tanner treatment. What follows is an instrumental called "Mal De Mer", which has a fairground, end of the pier feel. There's a Cure-esque edge to "Fall", especially the echo-laden guitars and resonant keyboards during the chorus. It has a great 80s feel to it. "Imaginary Shell" has a lackadaisical air. At times it feels as if Trevor is drifting, when really I'm fonder of his music when he is firing on four cylinders. The instrumental break resembles American Music Club. There's a spooky deserted fairground ending, for Stephen King fans everywhere.

"Wannabe" doesn't boost the tempo, but seems somehow more committed. Maybe it's the jarring guitars, or the cloud scraping synths as Trevor sings: 'I'm so high/Splitting the sky like an F16'. The song builds to an exciting climax, while never really leaving the ground. "Not Sorry" features strident acoustic guitars, sounding like an MTV Unplugged version of classic-era Bolshoi, possibly on the second side of the Friends album. "Wake Up Dead" had a heart beat-esque back beat, over which a melancholy piano is played. Weirdly Marc Almond in full torch song mode is conjured to my mind. There's a return to the spooky end of the pier sound, first demonstrated in "Mal De Mer".

"Freakshow" sees Trevor picking up the pace. The lyrics are summery, beginning: 'Everybody needs a holiday...' The use of 'freakshow' in the title once again conjures the spectre of The Levellers. The words deal with mostly positive experiences of touring in a band. There are few things more irritating than a pop star moaning about their job, so at least Trevor has avoided that pitfall. "Mind How You Go" brings things to an epic-style conclusion. It would be exhausting if every song was like this, but you want to end on a high.

So while "Eaten By The Sea" won't be replacing any of The Bolshoi albums in my affections, neither will it be embarrassed to stand beside them. Rest assured Trevor is in fine voice. He is still unmistakable. Sometimes I wish the pace was a little faster, but that's my only criticism.