Sinister: Irresistibly cloyingly sanctimonious

[Nick.Dastoor at xxx.uk]

What an odd review.   April Long struggles to articulate what it is that's so
annoying about the band, makes a few completely bizarre assessments ('The Chalet
Lines' documents a 'half-forgotten romance'? Some romance) and then wraps it up
by saying they record's bloody good.  I've heard of love-hate relationships, but
how anyone can describe something as both 'cloyingly sanctimonious' and
'irresistible' in the same sentence, I can't really understand.  It's not that
NME writers can't write anymore - it's as if they can't *think*.

Stuart's got a letter published in Angst.  It's a bit of a rant really.  I like
his 'it's like we're going out and you're trying to change me' analogy.  What a
lot of fuss this thing is causing.  I agree with Peter Miller that the original
piece wasn't half as bad as everyone's making out.  Yes, Steven Wells's argument
comes across as incredibly half-baked, but I almost got a sense that he knew it.
It all comes down to whether or not you agree with his (and April Long's, it
seems) belief that people who make records have a certain set of
responsibilities to the media.  I don't understand why they do, but there you
go.  Wells tried to drag the fans into it by saying the band treat them badly
(tuning up with their backs to the audience and making 'in jokes' apparently -
can't say I've ever noticed this especially and I was at the same Manchester
concert as he was)  but I think he's way off target.  The Shepherd's Bush
debacle was a pain for some people and that's a shame, but the band did
apologise.  Oh, and there's the new single format 12"/CD bollocks.   But it's
not really enough to build a whole thesis on 'contempt for the fans' is it?

There's two other letters supporting the band this week. One a bit crap
(describing B&S as writing some 'pleasant' songs is hardly going to win over the
naysayers).  The other one's good though.

I hestitate to fall in with the 'NME are angry cause they know they don't matter
much anymore' crowd, just cause it seems like a bit of a "ner ner ne ner ner"
argument.  Reminds me of that Half Man Half Biscuit song 'Bad Review' where the
aggrieved party mutters "I only buy it for the gig guide, anyway." But yeah it
might be valid nonetheless.   It's a weird situation when I'm only buying a
publication to read a letter from someone slagging it off.

Nick xx


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