Not As Bad as it Sounds

Review Score: (6/10)
The main problem with this record is that nothing really stands out as a Great track (NB the capital "G"). There's a few stabs at "story" songs ("Terra Nova Cain"). There's a bit of wistfulness here and there ("Metropolis"). Steve Kilbey has a shot at some sort of iffy "La Dolce Vita" trip in "You're Still Beautiful" and there's a sort of veiled "Oh, 'tis HARD to be a rockstar!" whatsis ("Pharaoh"... though that might simply be my own cynical perception) There's even a somewhat rash and ill-advised shot at (oh, dear...) actual rock ("Russian Autumn Heart").

None of it actually grabs you at first, (I had an ugly "is that IT?" feeling as the thought dawned on me that the record store was by now closed) but, no doubt as intended, this record DOES kind of grow on you in a slow, unassuming way. It's all fairly tranquil, pastelly stuff where everything even Regret is artful and contrived. But that's The Church and you probably knew that anyway.

It's not a GREAT record, but it's a pretty good one.

More Reviews:

• The Church hit a pothole.
• One Of The Best
• Not quite a "Starfish"
• Pop That Balloon
• OK But Not Great
• Another Haunting Masterpiece