|
The Longpigs The Sun Is Often Out Mother |
 |
|
The Longpigs The Sun Is Often Out Mother |
|
Select
Like Pulp before them, the Longpigs have suffered almost a decade of what's known as the
Sheffield Slog, a curious condition of the unsigned where success is only achieved by constantly
battling against Northern indifference and stubbornly refusing those tempting Council jobs. It's
this gutsy determination and honest toil that comes out on an album full of aggressive,
fist-clenching anthems replete with great blasts of emotion.
There's more in common with the passion and depth of fellow Northerners Marion. Singer Crispin
Hunt has 12-year-old cherub features disguising powerful vocal strainings as the rest of the band
bang out the dramatic chord changes, but the Longpigs inject a large amount of pop-soul into the
outsider equation. Whether it's the rising nature of songs like "She Said" or the more plaintive
demonstration of naked frustration ("All Hype"), there's a highly charged atmosphere that's
compelling enough to make that long wait worthwhile.
3 out of 5 stars
May 1996
Soundbite: "Crispin on the outside, soft on the inside."
Sam Upton
Vox
June 1996In these Post-industrial revolution days of electricity, mass-production, and the ECU, the mark of a good pop album is the amount of singles it produces. While the Longpigs' debut is rippling with singles, unfortunately most of them have already been singles, so The Sun Is Often Out is effectively a greatest hits compilation of the criminally ignored kitchen sink dramas going through singer Crispin Hunt's tousled head.
"Jesus Christ," for example, is a squealing pig of a song, complete with mooing cows, while "On and On" turns the Love Song on its head as Hunt croons, "I wish you would leave me / I wish you would go."
Of the newer material, "Over Our Bodies" owes more to the baby-grand-bashing ballads of Lennon's later days that it does to the arse-slapping Suedery of songs like "She Said," which distills the best of XTC and Squeeze in one hip-rolling strut.
If there's any justice in the world, the Longpigs' Radiohead-y rush will be advertising cars and playing in the Rovers when Percy goes in for a swift half within the year. But even if it's not and Vera keeps playing her Brian May CD, over in Longpigs land, The Sun... still shines.
(7)
John Perry
Vox
November 1996
...what Martin and Sice of the Boo Radleys had to say about "Lost Myself"...
Excellent arse-slapping, guitar-sawing tune from the men who would be Suede.
Martin: Ooh, this sounds good.
Sice: Steady, it's the Longpigs.
Martin: I like that a lot; the chorus is great, especially his singing. I like a nice
falsetto. It's a bit Radioheady, a bit Thom.
Sice: It's a bit what?
Martin: A bit Thom. It's Swedish for tomato.
Sice: No, it's not. I like the beginning because it was lo-fi, but it got too stringy
and silly, much too grandiose towards the end. But his voice is extraordinary.
Martin: We definitely liked the Swedish tomato.
Q's 50 Best Albums of the Year
January 1997When Radiohead first came along, talk of "the new U2" was bandied--mainly because they too played emotional rock. Now, two steps down the same road, from Sheffield, are "the new Radiohead"--signed, coincidentally, to U2's label. Equally at home with chest-beating and soul-wrenching, singer Crispin Hunt seems jollier than Thom Yorke, though this is well-hidden on tub-punishers like "Lost Myself," "She Said," and "On and On." Guitars crash, piano is occasionally stabbed, and a fine, oddly fashioned clatter is achieved. An image-free band sold on their music.
Melody Maker's 50 Albums of the Year
December 21/28, 1996
#32. A dream debut for two good reasons. One, it proved that the Sheffield quartet ply a state-of-the-art indie, leagues away from the careerist Britpop. Two, it featured the swaggering "She Said" and cool "On and On." Viva les Longpigs!
Alternative Press
August 1997From Sheffield, out of the burgeoning hit factory that is U2's label, but definitely avoiding even the kindest connotations spawned by their origins, Longpigs are a cool cut off the old Catherine Wheel sleeve, rock-pop mad scientists whose sonic savagery disguises some ebulliently hook-ridden songs. Or is it the other way around? Either way, they're good.
The opening "Lost Myself" lurks around the territory of the most familiar (aforementioned) territory: once past such radio-friendly high-kicking, Longpigs certainly do lose themselves in a churning landscape of crunchy guitars, hollow drums, and some startlingly effective light/dark contrasts. Fears of formulaic fallings, however, are blown away as the band marches on toward its ultimate destiny, a sharp left turn away from anything Britain has produced in years...since Catherine Wheel, in fact.
Add some Radiohead-room to the equation (you know, some really bendy Bends) and a song called "Jesus Christ," which opens with the observation, "I've been up here far too long," and Longpigs will outgrow their current status as support for this year's Britpack leaders before you can memorize the "Dozen Wicked Words" of the album's finest title. A masterpiece.
5 out of 5 fingers: Essential
Dave Thompson