THE BLUETONES
Return To The Last Chance Saloon
(Superior Quality/All formats)
In this age of almost puritanical seriousness where epic ballads of
self-doubt hold sway and songs which milkmen can whistle are frowned upon,
the return of the popsome Hounslow foursome is a welcome relief.
It's been two years since their debut, since then Britpop has crashed
taking lesser bands with it. The delay apparently has much to do with
the dreaded second album syndrome: they'd used up all their songs written
over the course of a decade on the first and found it difficult facing
a new one. And allegedly losing the master tapes of the finished album
on a train from Wales probably didn't help much either. A rockier sound
dominates the album, although not as Zepified as their notorious chief
influence, The Stone Roses, had second time around. The Jub-Jub Bird kicks
off a deep sexy groove like Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode before they
cop out with a chorus wetter than a month in Manchester. Fortunately,
4-Day Weekend goes the full distance when, after a gentle strum, guitarist
Adam Devlin shrugs, stamps on the distortion pedals and it turns into
their most rifftastic hip-shaking effort yet. Even Mark Morriss's voice
sounds like it's been pumping iron. A little. This time round, the vocals
are more than just another instrument in the mix. Sleazy Bed Track even
has Morriss as weary Casanova forced into one more seduction before the
chorus has him coming on like an indie Mark Morrison: "Climb up here with
me/And let's forget about sleep". But elsewhere on If... and Sky Will
Fall they're just cruising in neutral and letting the jangle do the work
for them before something better comes along. They've rejected serious
innovation in favour of a slightly beefier sound, some treated vocals,
a couple of lines mumbled in Spanish and a Star Trek red alert siren.
That said, the troubles surrounding the album don't show and it has greater
range than its predecessor. What it lacks, however, is a pop gem as immediate
and catchy as Slight Return. Nothing less should have been offered. ***
(3/5)
Like this? Try these...
- That Petrol Emotion - Babble POLYDOR 1987
- The Stone Roses - Second Coming GEFFEN 1994
- Space - Tin Planet GUT 1998
Anthony Thornton
Extracted from Sunday Telegraph, March 1998
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