Suede "Sci-fi Lullabies" 1992-1996 (rec) 1997 (comp)****

Yes, I know that "Britpop" was a stupid label, but somehow it stuck. The British press needed a counterpoint to the onslaught of grunge, and bundled together a bunch of young and talented UK groups, investing them with a patriotic aura, and relentlessly trying to sell them as the "next big thing" in music. Suede were the band that kicked it all off - that Select issue with Brett Anderson and the Union Jack on the cover under the title Yanks Go Home! is often cited as the birth moment of the "movement". The were also the only band of the so-called "Big Four" (the other three being Oasis, Blur, and Pulp) which I hadn't seen until recently. A few days ago I learned that they'd play at 013 Poppodium, and we decided to make the trip to Tilburg to see them, for old times' sake. And I'm glad we did, because the guys still got it: Brett Anderson is a great performer, and the setlist was a mix of classics and pretty strong new material. Brett's delivery was less melodramatic than in the records, but his stage presence was energetic, and music louder - closer to post punk than "Britpop" - whatever that is.

Suede closed last week's concert with their latest single "Dancing with the Europeans". My initial impression is that it was a politicized song, an anti-Brexit reaction. Then I remembered that they had expressed similar sentiments three decades ago, when such a possibility was unthought of: “Europe Is Our Playground” was a wonderful synth-driven ballad celebrating young love and freedom of movement in the EU. One of their strongest Coming Era tracks, it was surprisingly relegated to a single B-side. Sometimes these decisions show lack of faith for a song, but in this case it signifies a show of force on part of the band: when others fill their single releases with covers and live versions, Suede wanted to impress that they've written so many great originals that they can waste them, hiding them in the B side of their singles. Or maybe they did it to elevate their singles to the level of a short but memorable release; a few other British bands of the era did the same - Belle and Sebastian come to mind. Certainly this was the case for the opener of this CD "My Insatiable One" a flamboyant glam-rocker opener with obvious commercial potential. This logic paid off when the band gathered all their B sides in this compilation; achieving equal status to their regular albums, it garnered rave reviews and climbed to UK Top Ten. It covers the 1992–1996 era, containing material from Suede, Dog Man Star, and Coming Up - related singles. Most of Disc 1 covers the Bernard Butler era when he and singer Brett Anderson worked closely as a songwriting duo; these songs are dark, romantic, and decadent. Anderson's theatrical and melodramatic vocal is the band's hallmark, though their ability to create dreamy, atmospheric soundscapes should not be underestimated. Disc 1 highlights also include haunting goth ballad "My Dark Star", semi-acoustic "The Living Dead", the nocturnal horns of "The Big Time". There's some nice distorted guitar on the fatalistic "He's Dead" and glam punk “Killing of a Flash Boy”; "Whipsnade" sports a rare new wave rhythm with reggae-fied bass and Spanish guitar influences. An underrated song that differentiates from their usual style, it reminds me a bit of Simple Minds. The last track here featuring Butler is a melodic and romantic pop song called "Modern Boys". It also signifies the brighter, poppier, direction the band would take on their next album, Coming Up. It's followed by the upbeat "Together", co-writen by new guitarist Richard Oakes. Disc 2 opens with the melodic pop of "Every Monday Morning Comes" and new wavey "Have You Ever Been This Low?" followed by brooding ballad "Another to One" and dramatic rocker "Young Men"."The Sound of the Streets" celebrates London's nightlife, while "Money" displays the band's punkier side and "W.S.D." is more experimental, almost funky. "These Are the Sad Songs" is one of those melancholic epics that Suede excel at, while the album closes with a trio of ballads; "Sadie" is a gentle and acoustic, "Graffiti Women" has a psychedelic flavor, and "Duchess" is atmospheric, organ-based, new wave. People often remark (and I can't help but agree) that Sci-fi Lullabies may well be the best "odds and ends" compilation since The Smiths' Hatfull of Hollow (I'd probably add Oasis' The Masterplan). Disc 1, especially, would have made for a great standalone LP; together with the two Butler-era studio albums they form a trilogy of sorts. While it still doesn't contain any bad songs, Disc 2 is slightly inferior, meaning that some songs actually feel like B- sides i.e. not bad but somehow redundunt if you get my drift. In general, there's a definite shift towards a brighter, more optimistic sound, while stylistic detours as in "Money" and "W.S.D." give it a patchier feel. But, then again, that's what B-sides are about, experimenting with different styles without disrupting the flow of your regular albums. I'll say this: the overlong (2+ hours) duration of this compilation is probably its only downside, as it makes hard to swallow in one sitting; the existence of some more upbeat numbers like "Flashboy" and "Money" is a welcome change in pace. All in all, I'd say this is an essential compilation for fans; it also somehow signified the end of the band's prime as I feel they went somewhat downhill after that, finally calling it quits in 2003. When they reformed in the 2010's it was to relative indifference; for most people (myself included) they were part of the Britpop phenomenon of the 90's. I, too, went to the concert to hear their hits of that period. They didn't disappoint me in that respect, but I also liked the newer material; a bit less glam and more gothic, I thought - a good direction for them. People should give them another chance.

**** for My Insatiable One, To the Birds, He's Dead, The Big Time, High Rising, The Living Dead, My Dark Star, Killing of a Flash Boy, Whipsnade, Modern Boys, Europe Is Our Playground, These Are the Sad Songs, Money

*** for Where the Pigs Don’t Fly, Together, Bentswood Boys, Every Monday Morning Comes, Have You Ever Been This Low?, Another No One,Young Men, The Sound of the Streets, W.S.D., This Time, Jumble Sale Mums, Sadie, Graffiti Women, Duchess

Wet Leg "Wet Leg" 2022****

Most of the bands I saw in last month's Release Festival were old favorites: I've seen Siouxsie, Echo & The Bunnymen and Madrugada many times each; I was looking forward to more of the same, and wasn't disappointed. On the other hand, there were bands whose albums I liked but hadn't had the chance to watch live yet. Interpol was one such case, and a relative disappointment: an apathetic stage presence, with the singer murmuring into the microphone, almost not moving and making no effort to connect with their audience. To be fair, I only heard maybe 5 songs before heading to the other stage to catch The Bunnymen. True to form, Ian MacCullogh didn't step in the spotlight once. He spoke little, in a strong Scouse accent which few understood, but he at least sounded like he enjoyed being on stage and playing his songs. All in all, it was a good festival; most of the bands performed very well, but the one I enjoyed the most were probably Wet Leg; maybe because it was such a nice change from seeing too many bands by 50- ,60- , or 70-year old dudes in the last couple of years. 

Wet Leg is a young band from Isle Of Wight, who surfaced recently with a couple of singles written during the pandemic lockdown. When I saw them in the festival last week, I had had their LP only for a month or so and wasn't overly familiar with the way they sound on record. Going back to it now, the record sounds just a tad too clean; live, the songs sounded noisier and harder. Onstage, singer Rhian Teasdale proved to be a confident and communicative performer, while guitarist Hester Chambers was more shy but seemed to enjoy her role just as much. The same goes for the 3 guys in the band; although they are mostly not the ones who played on the record and they are nominally tour musicians rather than full members, it's obvious that the whole gang has bonded well and enjoy their time together. I'd bet that they'll gradually form into a real band. Wet Leg (the album, as well as the band) was a tremendous hit with music critics, winning multiple awards. I hate to join the crowd, but I'll have to agree with the general sentiment. The attraction is obvious; the album is the product of two young women who refuse to take themselves too seriously. Their lyrics are irreverent and funny, and the music full of hooks. Style wise, they seem to be updating 90's - 00's indie pop for the Tik Tok generation, combining post punk riffs with playful synths and sweet girlish vocals. First single "Chaise Longue" is upbeat , featuring an intro that reminded me of The Fall, and a repetitive and nonsensical but effervescent chorus. The second hit from the LP "Wet Dream" combines a disco beat with indie guitars reminiscent of The Breeders and sweet vocals a la Lush. And let's not forget that other obvious 90's reference, since songs like "Ur Mom"and "Oh No" surely sound like a poppier version of Elastica. Opener "Being in Love" is another upbeat highlight, one I think I'd like more if the girls' voices didn't sugarcoat too much. But I guess that's what makes this album a hit; a couple of sweet sounding females singing about whatever comes to their minds, spouting funny and irreverent one-liners. "Angelica" shows more variation excelling in the quiet/loud department, with occasional noisy guitar bursts and a more rhythmic part reminiscent of M.I.A. "I Don't Want to Go Out" is a nice melodic rocker, and "Loving You" the closer the album gets to a ballad. Another relatively subdued track is "Piece Of Shit". At times it reminds me of Pixies - which is, of course, a good thing. The next two tracks are both mid-tempo: "Convincing" is -excuse the pun- the least convincing track here (nothing seriously wrong with it, but nothing memorable either) while "Supermarket" sports a bluesy sing-along chorus. Album closer "Too Late Now" gets off to a slow start but picks up pace along the way for a bright and jangly Lemonheads-like ending. All in all, this LP is fresh, and has "fun" written all over it. I did enjoy the humorous jabs and occasional foul language, especially when mixed with emotional candor. Also, while the upbeat and poppy singles are the most accomplished songs here, it's the more subdued and complicated stuff that make me more eager to hear what Wet Leg will do next; one plainly sees that they have not only mastered the art of writing hit songs full of great hooks, but that there's room for growth as well. In that respect, I have the same feeling I got by the Fontaines DC debut a few years back: that the accolades may be a bit premature but that this is a band to watch, for sure.

**** on Being in Love, Chaise Longue, Angelica, I Don't Wanna Go Out, Wet Dream, Ur Mum, Piece of Shit, Supermarket, Too Late Now

*** for Convincing, Loving You, Oh No

Luke Haines "The Oliver Twist Manifesto" 2001***

Christmas dinner at the Dickens'

During our recent trip to London, my girlfriend and I visited the Charles Dickens museum in the writer's old house on Doughty Street. Visitors to the museum can get an idea of daily living in Victorian England as well as an insight into the personality of the writer: the Anglo-centric world traveller, the bon viveur, and the one he hid deep inside: the 11 year old child working in the factory to free his father from debtors' prison. London still reminds you of Dickens' stories when you least expect it: a shop here, a pub there, a row of chimneys out of "Oliver Twist". As it turns out, Dickensian references can even be found at the bottom of a crate labelled 3CD's-for-£1 at a used books-and-records store in Stoke Newington. Chancing upon a CD called "The Oliver Twist Manifesto" I immediately put it aside on the "interesting" pile. I had never heard of its existence but I knew Luke Haines makes good albums: I have an LP and a few CD's by his bands The Auteurs and Baader-Meinhof. His version of Oliver Twist sings "Get off your knees you grovelling bastards/This is Oliver Twist pissing over Britannia...There was this gang who I used to run with/Swindlers, knaves, urchins scum, spivs/Looking good comes in handy/When you're dipping from the pockets of a dandy". Doesn't sound much like the well-mannered boy whose most famous phrase is “Please, sir, I want some more”. At best, he sounds like his pal the Artful Dodger. On the cover the singer poses, dressed like mr. Dickens himself, with a bunch of modern-day "street" kids, holding banners with the albums' alternative title "What's Wrong with Popular Culture". And who better to explain it than the notoriously rancorous Luke Haines? His lyrics are full of bile, carefully making sure to insult everybody from pop icons and the entertainment industry to obscure sculptors and (naturally) the English press, mocking every notion of Englishness and religion in the bargain. He makes his intentions clear from the opening verses "This is not entertainment/Don't expect me to entertain you/any more than you could entertain me...Run away if you don't like it/You don't need to worry your pretty head about it/Don't beg for mercy, you'll get none, now it's war/This is Rock 'N' Roll Communique No.1". Musically, though, it's curiously light: Pop melodies, soaring strings both real and synthesized, and electronic disco rhythms are employed to produce one of his most accessible offerings, closer to the chamber pop of Divine Comedy than the angular new wave of The Auteurs. "Oliver Twist" and the "Oliver Twist Manifesto" masterfully blends dramatic strings and electronic bleeps while "Discomania" evokes an unholy union of Pulp, ABBA and Ennio Morricone. On "Christ" he mixes religious imagery with self-mythologizing while combining seemingly random words with the name Christ. "England VS America" is a slow tune full of a very English brand of self-loathing and "Never work" a lovely ballad referencing a Guy Debord slogan from May '68 "Ne travaillez jamais...We'll call a general strike/For the right to never work". Great sentiment and beautiful album. If only he had followed "Oliver Twist" with his version of "A Christmas Carol" I'd have the perfect alternative blog entry for the holidays...

**** for Rock 'N' Roll Communique No.1, Oliver Twist, Discomania, The Oliver Twist Manifesto

*** for Death Of Sarah Lucas, Never Work, Mr. & Mrs. Solanas, What Happens When We Die, Christ, The Spook Manifesto

** for England VS America

The HotRats "Turn Ons" 2010***

Initially conceived as Brit-pop's answer to the Monkeys, Supergrass always seemed like fun guys, playing a kind of upbeat power-pop that, though hip to the times, was well schooled in classic rock and pop songwriting. In 2010, and with their main band disintegrating, singer/guitarist Gaz Coombes and drummer Danny Goffey decided to take time off and record a tribute album to their influences. As you may well imagine, those included the cream of rock and new wave songwriters. There are, nevertheless, two who are conspicuous by their absence: The Beatles and Rolling Stones. A bit of searching, though, reveals that covers of "Drive My Car" and "Under My Thumb" were recorded but kept out of the CD, maybe because they were too obvious. The Kinks are represented here by an outsider, Village Green's "Big Sky" played in a hard rock style reminiscent of The Who (another notable absentee). The Doors' "Crystal Ship" is marred by loud outbreaks. Guys, it's called the crystal ship because it's fragile. But lads are always prone to smash stuff, so that's somehow to be expected. One unexpected cover is The Beastie Boys' "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)" - a raucous rap-metal 80's classic that's a world away from Supergrass' smart power pop. They chose a whimsical acoustic approach that belies the lyrics, but it's great fun nevertheless. You can't not chuckle to a line like "Man, living at home is such a drag/ Now your mom threw away your best porno mag", regardless if it's sung with indignation or self-pity. Many songs are a bit more karaoke, meaning that the band just play their favourite songs without bothering for arrangements. They play well and are having fun with it, so the outcome isn't at all dismissable. "Queen Bitch", "Lovecats" and "Pump It Up" are slightly sped up while "Love Is The Drug" and the semi-acoustic "Damaged Goods" are funked-down (or whatever is the opposite of funked-up), but otherwise they're not radically different. Neither is the whimsical psychedelic pop of Syd Barrett's "Bike". Squeeze's "Up The Junction" is slowed down to a ballad and the Sex Pistols' "E.M.I." is played acoustically but thankfully retains its edge, sounding a bit like the Violent Femmes' acoustic folk-punk. I now realise I -unintentionally- left the first song for last. It's a rockin' version of Velvet Underground's "I Can't Stand It" - a garage-y take not far from the original, but an appropriately feel-good way to open the album anyway. For a low-key side project, this was quite enjoyable - I sang along to it while driving to the beach and everything. I daresay I like it better than most of Supergrass' CD's, though it's still far from essential listening. If you happens upon it, indulge yourselves...

**** for I Can't Stand It (Velvet Underground), (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)(Beastie Boys), "Damaged Goods (Gang of Four)

*** for Big Sky (Kinks), Love Is The Drug (Roxy music), Pump It Up (Elvis Costello), Lovecats (The Cure), Queen Bitch (David Bowie), E.M.I. (Sex Pistols), Up The Junction (Squeeze)

** for The Crystal Ship (Doors), Bike (Pink Floyd)  

The Candy Skins "Space I'm In" 1991***

My God, the Candy Skins. Let's see... I do remember hearing one of their songs on the radio and thinking it was cool. Then I remember coming across their album in a sale and thinking "it costs next to nothing, let's buy it". I don't remember ever listening to it, but I must have - I give every new album a couple of listens. Re-listening to it now, it doesn't sound bad at all, but rather undistinguished and pretty much of its time: indie pop in thrall to the 60's and bands like the Byrds and Beatles. There was a wave of British bands deriving inspiration from these same sources: You know, you had your Stone Roses, Ride, Teenage Fanclubs and, later on, Oasis - and then you had other bands, similar but less successful. "So Easy" has that baggy sound that was in vogue at the time, while the band's hit "Submarine Song" is a nice jangle rocker and "Black & Blue" is a piece of sunny folk. "Never Will Forget You" has a Big Star/REM vibe and "Freedom Bus" is a fast number that reminds me of The Byrds and Tom Petty. "Without Love" tries to rock, but to me it sounds like a Lenny Kravitz leftover. "She Blew Me Away" was picked up for a single release. Why, I don't know. It's a pleasant but forgettable song. I can't see many people listening to it and then rushing to the stores to buy the album. "Third World Blues" is more of the same and "Not Sad to See You Go" differentiates a bit by including some funky wah-wah guitar. "Get Together" is instantly forgettable and Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" is adorned with a baggy beat, electric guitar solo and what sounds like a Sympathy For The Devil sample - though there's no mention of samples anywhere, so I could be mistaken. In any case, it's a good cover in the sense that, despite being far inferior from the original, it remains interesting by introducing new elements. The album closes with "Space I'm In", another jangly number with a big chorus. Now, I don't want to diss this CD: it's a solid effort, well played and produced, guitars sounding just right - but, frankly, it bored me. Which means that, probably, I am dissing it after all. Then again, if you can't get enough of the Stone Roses, LA's, REM etc. or feel nostalgic for the sound of the late 80's/early 90's then by all means, give it a listen...

**** for Submarine Song, Freedom Bus

*** for Never Will Forget You, She Blew Me Away, Third World Blues, Not Sad to See You Go, For What It's Worth, Space I'm In

** for So Easy, Black & Blue, Without Love, Get Together