There’s really no need for any gimmicks in marketing Tobias Jesso’s beautiful album of heavily 70’s songwriter influenced chamber-pop Goon. It’s just a beautiful record – simple and sweet. It has echoes of the past (Nilsson, David Ackles, Rundgren, Randy Newman etc) but they are launching points not pastiches. This is lovely and fresh and miles away from the MOR peddled by some of the UK’s “new” popstars.

But one of the nice gimmicky bits of the Goon campaign are the press ads;

which beautifully mimic Stan Cornyn’s legendarily subversive marketing tags for the early Warners labels. The copy lines for Jesso echo Cornyn’s twisted approach so perfectly epitomised by this gem of backwards forwardness created for Van Dyke Parks;

Of course Cornyn’s wit spawned imitators (some were better than others)

As marketing people used the new print medium of rock’s “alternative press”
But Cornyn’s creative services team at Warners always did it best
Whether for the Dead;

Or brilliantly for the Fugs;

Alternative marketing for alternative press (and alternative “heads”).

So thank you to Tobias and his label for reminding us of another culture we love. But as we said don’t let that distract you from Goon. It really is that good.

And you’ll find it hard not to love.

TJJ’s debut record Goon is available now where all instant classics are sold | streamed.