Strangelove - Strangelove

Strangelove's self titled 1997 album is one of the jewels of my record collection - unfortunately not many people knew about them then (nor today really) so it never did as well as it should have. In fact I've got it mind to do a few of these blogs on my favourite albums - and most of them that come to mind never really achieved much commercial success. Maybe that's just the way I'm wired?

I first discovered Strangelove after rooting around my brother Michael's music collection back in 1995. He had a copy of their first album 'Time For The Rest Of Your Life' (another blinding set of songs) and I fell in love with it on my first listen. The band only released two more full length studio recordings, the second being 'Love and Other Demons' (thought by some to be their best) and this one, 'Strangelove'. The third and final was the most pop sounding of the lot and I think that might be why it's become my favourite...especially in my old age. I hope you won't mind me taking you on whistle stop tour?

Superstar, the first track of 11 opens with a mournful, cascading guitar chord. The outlook seems bleak - and from this point onwards it has to be said that the band tread a fine line between sad reflection and bleak self-loathing. Doesn't sound like a recipe for success? Well, no, it wasn't... but it's brilliant! Perfect pop melacholy. I love it.

Other highlights... Freak gives a glam tinged angry rock song with a well crafted bridge. Someday Soon, whilst not the strongest song on the album, has one of the best outros I can remember. The whining slide guitar gives way to the pounding rhythm section pushing and punching its way unstoppable and relentless to the end of the song. Awesome! I really love the sentiment of The Runaway Brothers "...both threwing up round the back" - Patrick Duff lyricism at its best.

The pub piano cleverness of Another Night In heralds the arrival of one of the most poppy tracks on the album; it was one of the singles but again, it didn't do too well. It's a really prime example of the Stranglove guitarists' ability to intertwine 2 or 3 melodic lines into a greater whole (when I was fortunate enough to see them live there were times in the set when 4 out of the 6 band members were playing guitar - we're talking full on wall of sound) - something they were brilliant at and something I've tried and failed to emulate loads of times!

The Greatest Show on Earth is a song writing highlight of the album and it's intricate arrangement makes it a good listen. You know you're back in '97 when the horns start up at the start of She's on Fire, a track which at times sounds like Suede (comparisons to Beautiful Ones wouldn't be unfair). It's a slower paced track which is might well be placed at this point in the album to slow things down a bit before the finale. Mona Lisa has an element of 90s dance music to it - it again highlights the ability of the rhythm section, especially the super tight drummer.

Looking back at how much I've written I think that'll do. Strangelove were not any worse than their contemporaries. In fact in some ways they were better. But they probably found their feet about 2 years too late to jump on the band wagon. They are at times disturbed, momentarily unhinged yet always very, very good. I wholeheartedly recommend you check them out and enjoy. Let me know what you think if you do.