I vaguely recall
reading about this band in Simon Reynold's exceptional book 'Rip It Up and
Start Again', but couldn't remember any specifics. Having looked at it again,
he labelled them as the best post-punk pop band to never make it. Given the
sheer number of post-punk bands that never made it, that is, in a sense, very
high praise.
A Scottish two-piece, it was The
Associates' hit, Party Fears Two, that catapulted them to fame. Their first two albums had achieved murmurs of acclaim, and
they spent a significant sum on the third, with some pretty extravagant
recording studio antics. It seemed to pay off with Top of the Pops performances
of the aforementioned single culminating in it reaching number 9 in the UK charts, and bringing along with it all the associated (sorry) trappings. Their
success in the US never really came about, and when member Alan Rankine left
the band just prior to the tour to promote Sulk in the US, major label interest
dried up, and the band never recaptured their moment.
Arrogance Gave Him
Up is an instrumental opener that undersells the band. No is a brilliant piece
of music, with a crisp, cutting synth line. It is the best track on the album
for me, with the simplicity of the riff contrasting with the multiple layers of
other instruments. Bap de la Bap is an interesting and lively piece of music,
that is just too angular for me to get comfortable with. Gloomy Sunday has all
the components of a great 80s track, but the vocals just come across as too
lethargic against the high intensity synths. Nude Spoons has a powerful chorus,
and Skipping has some driving drumming, although also contains an annoying
vocal effect. It's Better This Way is Boy George meets the Rocky Horror Picture
Show, but with more affectation. Party Fears Two was the group's major hit, and
Chloe knew it though I didn't. It has an extremely catchy tune, and the sound
quality is delightfully crisp, with each instrument adding something to the
overall. Club Country is another catchy number, and certainly warrants its
place as a single release. Love Hangover is an intriguing cover version, and it
almost seems that the band work well when modifying a more conventional pop
song, rather than creating songs as edgy as they would otherwise attempt.
Overall it is an
enjoyable album, but possibly coming along straight after another experimental
pop album did not serve it well. There is almost too much depth and thought in
this album, with every tone and texture clearly agonised over; sometimes that level
of details kills some of the enjoyment. Listening to it over a longer, slower
period may have served it better too. For what it's worth, Daphne did seem to
enjoy a few of the tracks, but then that could have been coincidence, so we're
not at the point of her getting a rating. Yet.
Chloe's album
rating: 6
Chloe's favourite
track: 8. Party Fears Two
Olly's album rating:
6
Olly's favourite
track: 2. No
Next week is
certainly simpler fare, with 794. Foo Fighters and their eponymous debut.
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