Singles
Beck, SexxLaws
Normal service is resumed on Planet Beck, then. The first new material since the 'not-a-proper-album-really' Mu-Tations is a lot more New Pollution than Dead Melodies. And strangely, after the stately maturity of that album, he seems to have re-discovered his inner child. Country meets hip-hop meets Stax (again), they shake hands like the familiar old friends that they now are, and sit around for a bit trying to think of somewhere new to go. Their ringmaster is meanwhile singing about nothing decipherable, except that he's a "grown man who's not afraid to cry," and presumably wondering why he isn't grown-up enough to stop writing this stuff. Happily, it's still guaranteed to destroy student dancefloors. Welcome home, man.
pb
Blur, No Distance Left to Run
A bloody awful single from a bloody awful album. We cringed at On Your Own and thought it couldn't possibly get any worse, but this takes the biscuit for utter tripedom. I just hope Damon doesn't use this as an example of why rock music is the greatest art form in tonight's Union rock debate. Brethren, it's time to pray that the portents of the line "It's over, you don't need to tell me" is wholly sincere and Albarn and friends have finally realised that they can't last the distance.
IIIII rd
28th Oct 1999