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ONE WAY Recommends [Issue
#14] The Wonder Stuff By
Lynne Bronstein
Escape From Rubbish Island
(CD
IRL)
The
Wonder Stuff are rightly named. Their first studio album in 12 years
is a refreshingly overdue blow against the empires of Great Britain
(the Rubbish Island of the title), the record industry, and
expectations about personal relationships. This band has a disarming
sound - old-school Brit rock-pop-Guitar New Wave- un-enhanced by
samples (except for some schoolyard sounds at the beginning and
end of one track). The simplicity of the music allows the band to
get edgy with it lyrically. The title song gives the Wonder Stuff’s
perspective on why Britain today is not a happy place (“We’ve
been led by fools but the Beatles ruled.”). Other tracks deal
with the ups and downs - mostly downs - of contemporary romance.
Your local soft love songs radio station won’t be playing “Better
Get Ready For A Fist Fight” which examines domestic violence,
or “Back To Work” which admits that relationships need
to adjust to life. In today’s tepid rock scene, the Wonder
Stuff’s viewpoints may seem too cynical but they’re tempered
with humor and common sense-and they still have a beat you want
to dance to.
