— Dave Rimmer
Play #1
Gosh this singer sounds an awful like the girl from Young Marble Giants. They both have that deadpan voice that was commonplace among post-punk female singers but done in a fashion that implies that they are convinced that they can carry a note. Does this make their form of non-singing singing a fraud since they can sing all along?
The instruments don't really mesh, do they? But I suppose that's the point. The strings and sax are meant to be all laid back but the guitars refuse to toe the line. It is the only instrument that matters so of course the guitarist has to be different.
Play #2
Nah, this isn't the girl from Young Marble Giants. This one's way too downbeat. Dave Rimmer thinks everything's in the background but maybe the vocals and instruments are all up in the front, trying to compete for the listener's attention. It's not a great way to listen to a record though.
I liked "A View from Her Room" a whole lot more I have to say. That song felt perfectly at home being a jazzy new wave song but this just isn't sure what it's supposed to be. And is there really the need for two sax solos?
Play #3
Honestly, this would have been a really strong album cut (ideally, as a final or penultimate track) but for the fact that no one bothered to put it on Weekend's album La varieté, the clots. "Past Meets Present" just isn't single material. Not sure if anything they did was compatible with the 45" format though.
Rimmer's right that it does linger in the air but so do farts. It's strange how you can fart when you're out on the street and then get on a bus and it follows you. This single isn't quite the same: it's easy to be rid of it unless you concentrate enough and then it sticks around a while. Good thing farts don't tend to be that powerful.
So, despite the pathetic "gag" above, I know full well this is Allison Stratton, formerly of Young Marble Giants. (As Brian Eno said, only 10,000 people bought the only YMG album but everyone who did formed a band that didn't get anywhere) You can have your skeletal indie rock, I'll take uneasy lounge jazz any day, even if this song is just all right.
Sorry Rims, not hooked.
~~~~~
Also Reviewed This Fortnight
Kid Creole & The Coconuts: "Stool Pigeon"
Play #1
Damn, this one's a banger!
Play #2
Still a banger! And rather miraculous considering August Darnell's zoot suit trousers go up to his nipples and he was flirting with novelty pop on "Stool Pigeon". But who could resist such a catchy delight?
Play #3
The bangiest banger that ever did bang! FYI, I was hooked three plays ago.
(Click here to see my original review)
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