The Sundays - Reading, Writing & Arithmetic (1996)

Now here's an album that will probably last me a lifetime or two. This is their debut album, but originally I got to know The Sundays from their second release (Blind) via a girl I was madly in love with at the time. Ah, what a girl! she came from Wigan near Manchester, hmm how I cherished her accent and gipsy-like beauty! So whenever I hear Blind I can't help but think of her... Luckily, though, this pax-post album does not direct my mind to her! And perhaps equally fortunate, this release is --personally speaking-- a better one than The Sundays' second one: the tracks are generally more up-beat and also less "rain-swept England oh crap let's feel sad". Anyway, Harriet Wheeler's vocals are absolutely unique --ethereal, beautiful-- the guitar work sounds great and the production value is supreme (i.e. all the instruments are so well arranged that it's a joy merely to hear the sounds). Even if you're not into UK indie rock, chances are that this album will enter your heart and soul. If you believe in either of these, of course. The music is sad and happy at the same time, true UK melancholia -- it's no wonder that Robert Burton was an Englishman... Super-recommended, this one! (But make sure you get your equaliser settings right, it's quite important for albums of this kind.)

Sundays_Reading_Writing_Arithmetic_256.rar

posted by Paxjorge @ Tuesday, May 30, 2006