Description
Details
Artist:
The Blue AeroplanesRecord Title:
SwaggerNumber of discs:
1Record Label:
Ensign
I picked this up some years ago on the recommendation that if I liked the Divine Comedy(whom I love) I would also like the Blue Aeroplanes. Well it stayed in my collection pretty much unlistened to for years until, while appraising records for resale I took it out, dropped the needle and loved the sound. Probably the best of their albums its the only one I own. Its calleed Swager and it shows. The singer doesn't sing but talks in a Mark E Smith tone, full of confidence, some arrogance and a cooler than thou attitude. All the time the music is pumping away in the background with what might now be called angular guitars. (I'm still not sure of this term) This is definitely music you can dance to if any indie disco was to play it. To some extent it reminds me of Flowered Up's weekender which was from the same era but had more dance sensibility. This is pure indie rock.
The fun begins on side one. "Jacket hangs" passes by. "World view blue" lines us up for the lovely "Weightless", soundling like a devotion to breaking up. The message is to go down in flames. After this thoughtful message we are thrown headlong into the magnificent "...And stones". My God, this is marvellous, a repeated baas riff and driving drumbeat push us along nodding and dancing all the way while Gerard Langley possibly sings to us of lovers uptown, lovers all around.
Sound is average. There's a lot going on, and a driving rhythm but nothing distinct.