The Wedding Present
Bizarro

THE REVIEW

"Lost your love of live/too much apple pie/and now Harris walks away/with Johnny’s wife".

"Bizarro" probably isn't a five-star album but it definitely contains "Brassneck", "Granadaland", and "Kennedy": unless proven otherwise, you didn't write them, David Gedge did. The second album from The Wedding Present features a more compact – tight – and polished sound; the drums are tougher, the guitars much rougher and more distorted, and the bass finally takes center stage, often dictating melodic lines where the ensemble churns out a characteristic wall of sound: Gedge’s voice takes a step back, which is a strange choice considering how the lead singer's subdued tone now has to compete with an even denser structure of distortion. The choice of themes doesn't deviate from that of the first album and will continue not to deviate in subsequent albums: Gedge will sing to us (almost) always and (almost) exclusively about his sentimental (para)noias, and let it be known that this doesn't bother me at all, but I'm willing to accept objections on the matter.

Novelty: the song titles are shorter compared to "George Best", but the average duration is longer. The tracks often close with sonic trails, where a faint echo of the Velvet Underground can be heard, and it is precisely in these moments that the band's ability to work on dynamics is perceived, managing to transcend (but not always) the spectrum of monotony: the bed of feedback recalls contemporary listens and if this isn't shoegaze, it's due to the close connection with the concept of the song that keeps The Wedding Present grounded – while it is up to other beloved contemporaries to dream of somewhat more far-out pop worlds. However, there are also relaxed episodes where David Gedge's crooner-like low tone stands out: as I've been made aware, the lad is probably vaguely off-key and certainly lacking in variety, but to your friend's ears and humble reviewer – his voice is unique and perfect in defining the sound of the band.

On the heels of "Bizarro", the mammasantissima Steve Albini would become interested in the band, producing the third album "Seamonsters" (and a new version of the single "Brassneck", included in the CD reissue of the album, where among the extras stands out a quirky version of Tom Jones’s "It’s Not Unusual" – a little gem that could become a party classic if someone ever let me DJ once in a while): therefore, if you don't trust this review, trust those with better ears than mine and seek out this album, seek it out.