Album: Bend Sinister
January 11th 2009 15:38
Brix had, from the very begining, brought a pop sensibility to the Fall. This Nation's Saving Grace, released a year earlier, is the better LP (probably), due to its wide variety of styles from tongue-in-cheek folk ("Paintwork") to krautrock experimentalism ("I Am Damo Suzuki"). But Bend Sinister is more cohesive. Dark and sinewy, yet melodic, songs like "R.O.D." and "Riddler!" bear closer to post punk breathren like Bauhaus or Joy Division then the Fall's normal art collages. The band hadn't given up crazed repitition quite yet, though: "U.S. 80s-90s" is a wonderfully silly and hummable mantra.
The best tracks on Bend Sinister incorporate Brix to her full powers. "DKTR Faustus" finds her cooing the names of random fruits and howling delightedly over Mark's straight lyrical reading. "Should Pads #1" combines all the best elements of Brix-era Fall, with Mark disparaging punk poseurs ("couldn't tell Lou Reed from Doug Yule") while Brix busts a Rickenbacker riff that can stick in your head for days.
For the neophyte, you can--and should--start your Fall collection with Hex Enduction Hour and This Nation's Saving Grace. Once you get around to Bend Sinister, however, don't be surprised if it ends up your favorite Fall of all.
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