A request again, this is off an album I haven't visited much, but is often cited as being a lot of peoples' most favoured line-up of recent years, as is often called the American Fall, he picked these guys up after the band disintegrated on a US tour in 2006, so all of them are American, bar Smith, Elena and Dave Spurr. They are a bit tighter than lineups around that time (although I prefer the Fall Heads Roll line-up they replaced).
Song: Systematic Abuse
Album: Reformation Post-TLC
Year: 2007
Yeah, so the TLC in the album title apparently stands for 'Traitors, liars and cunts' according to Mark, charming, I'm sure he was still smarting from losing a great bunch of people after that tour but it doesn't really show on the album. This one is a long, long gallop to the end, with some great images, disintegrating bills and vegetables, analogies of money falling through his fingers etc. The title is repeated ad infinitum, as we are used to from MES, but takes on some double meaning in a somewhat obvious way for Smith's usually baffling caustics. It could mean what it means, systematic abuse, repetitive battering and wearing down, a phrase often used when it comes to domestic violence or child abuse, or a lot of the time institutional abuse in care homes, children's homes or boarding schools etc. However I think in this instance, it means the 'system' in an almost adolescent way, as in the powers that be, the ones in charge etc. Mark equates bills through the door as rotting vegetables, disintegrating in his hands, pretty amazing imagery and a deft vocal performance as well.
The music buzzes with a more professional touch than you usually hear with this era, it's all very clean, clear and sonorous, the only fuzz and gurgle comes from Elena's keyboards, with her constantly tweaking the base sound to create a collage under the tight framework courtesy of the US Fall members. Mark's vocals are slightly off-rhythm, I guess on purpose, maybe the music was just a bit too well-played for him this time and he felt the need to sabotage it in some way.
Excellent romp regardless, let this blog roll on!
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