Pulp
Different Class

Outside it’s cloudy, but it’s not raining: put on your Puma Suede and the vintage jacket with a Marc Bolan pin, take the number 46 and get off in any suburban and popular neighborhood of London. The three-story buildings are clad in exposed bricks, here and there is a public park with couples on the benches, the pub is on the right and on the billboards stands the new face of Tony Blair. A building catches your attention, there is an entrance door, a sign: Acid House... enter!! don’t worry!!...... settle down on the cramped sofa, don’t mind the floral wallpaper and the burgundy color of the walls, don’t notice the noises coming from upstairs (they’re having sex...).... pop your pill and enjoy the music.

It’s a charming and mischievous Pop crafted by the voice of dandy Jarvis Cocker on a floor of toy keyboards, 80s guitar winks, and so much originality: it’s the Pulp of "Different Class" (1995 a magical moment for British Pop) ...one of the best records of the 90s, definitely the one that best describes England of those years. The pop of "Mis-shapes" and the melodic intimacy of "Pencil Skirt" open the album, paving the way for the most famous track of the band: "Common people"—a danceable talk—sounding much like a B-grade disco ornamented with lyrics worthy of the best Irvine Welsh. The atmosphere of "I Spy" brings to mind the frames of a mid-80s Eastern European crime film made up of prostitutes and drugs. "Disco 2000" beyond the criticisms (all Italian) for unintentional plagiarism of the opening riff of "Gloria" by Umberto Tozzi (but can you imagine Jarvis having a Tozzi LP alongside Bowie and Morrissey??) flaunts an irresistible catchy melody over a danceable riff and atmospheres, once again, reminiscent of a suburban disco. "Live Bed Show", "Something Changed" and "Sorted for E's & Wizz" while not on par with singles from the album, hold their ground well and, as usual, are structured on a melodic pop with a vintage flavor surmounted here and there by the sinuous lines drawn by the keyboardist.

The album concludes with the wonderful and erotic "Underwear" which—I think—was born out of one of Pulp's most beautiful melodies, and "Monday Morning" and "Bar Italia" (Jarvis and Umberto having a drink?? No...): two minor tracks but ones that contribute to making the LP a mini concept album, at least from a musical point of view given how the entire LP avails itself of a clear and clean sound (the only flaw of the album is that it seems too similar to itself throughout).

Since '81, Pulp had been trying to write an album like this... after several failures here they are crafting their Brit Pop masterpiece which, on par with "What's the Story Morning Glory" and "Coming Up", soon became the symbol of an unrepeatable musical season.