Adorable – Footnotes 92-94
As a teen I had Adorable’s debut album Against Perfection on one side of a C-90. (I can’t remember what was on the other side; probably some Oasis B sides or Ride .) Every time I put it on it sounded great. The lyrics were dodgy, but the guitars had the right combination of exfoliatory grit and skyscraping grandeur to warrant a good blast on my Walkman. Nearly 20 years on, this Cherry Red compilation brings together eight of Against Perfection’s ten songs, six of second album Fake’s ten songs, plus debut single ‘Sunshine Smile’ and a handful of other odds and ends.
The best thing about this collection is that it’s a reminder of how basic indie-rock can still be thrilling. Each of the songs is almost ridiculously simple: a plodding bassline, forgettable drum parts, one distorted guitar strumming chords while the other plucks out a chiming arpeggio, and the lead singer either singing about how great some girl is or moaning about how crap his life is. But it works. Tracks like ‘Glorious’ and ‘Crash Sight’ still sound great blasted in the car. And the liner notes, with comments from each of the band members about each of the songs, are pretty entertaining.
However, I can’t answer the question of whether this is a worthwhile release if you’ve never heard Adorable before. They inhabit similar terrain to early Ride , Swervedriver and some of The Smiths heavier stuff, so if that’s your cup of tea, you may well find some stuff to enjoy on there. Personally, I’d rather have a remastered edition of Against Perfection than this. The running order isn’t a patch on Against Perfection’s beautifully constructed arcs, and the only welcome addition in my book is the pop surge of ‘Sunshine Smile’; the Fake tracks are second-rate to my ears, but that may be because they’re not familiar. The sound quality is pretty ropey, even though it was only recorded in the ’90s. It definitely would have welcomed a remastering job.
Anyway, it’s been a fun trip down memory lane. Thanks Cherry Red.