release date: Aug. 3, 1992
format: cd (TPLP 39CD)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,84]
producer: Hugh Jones
label: One Little Indian - nationality: England, UK
Tracklist: 1. "What Happens Now?" (4 / 5) - 2. "4 Men" (5 / 5) - 3. "On Tooting Broadway Station" (4 / 5) - 4. "Breathing Fear" (3,5 / 5) - 5. "Gone World Gone" (3 / 5) - 6. "When in Heaven" (4 / 5) - 7. "Mad as Snow" (4,5 / 5) - 8. "Smiling" (3,5 / 5) - 9. "Blue Pedal" (3,5 / 5) - 10. "Can't Trust the Waves" (4,5 / 5)
3rd studio album by Kitchens of Distinction released on One Little Indian is like the former produced by Hugh Jones, although, it reflects a noticeable change of sound as the production is more towards a dream pop feel with less distorted noise pop.
My first impression was bland, and I thought of it as a weaker release. I still do but it soon grew better as some of the softer pop songs were more than quite okay. The opening track "What Happens Now?" and my favourite "4 Men" (feat. Katie Meehan's vocal) are more in line with the previous album, with their high pitched tempo and great guitar based sound, than the remaining tracks. "When in Heaven" is a sing-along-up-tempo dream pop tune - nice and sweet. "Mad as Snow" is a surprisingly beautiful progressive dream pop ballad, and one of their finest songs. "Smiling" jumps on the same train as "When in Heaven" with an up-tempo and fine chorus line, and then it goes even further in the progressive area with "Blue Pedal" which is almost a post rock song before the style was even named. The album closes with "Can't Trust the Waves", again a slow progressive track only this time it's a ballad with saxophone... The entire experience is a bit confusing, and I guess that was my initial verdict - I couldn't find it's overall sound, and it still appears rather varied and broad... maybe for the broad minded. What really binds the whole thing together is first and foremost Julian Swales' signature sound of harmonically distorted guitar-noise - the dna of the band.
At the time of its release I would most likely have rated it 2,5 - today I think of it as close to 4 stars.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]
