It's easy to forget that before they went all Friday I'm in Love and began selling out stadiums, The Cure were firmly rooted in Britain's post-punk scene. "Object" could almost be an out-take from Gang of Four's Entertainment!, while "Subway Song" and its slinky walking bassline seethe away with all of the paranoia and dread of Thatcher-era Britain before suddenly, and very punkly, consummating said paranoia and dread in a manner not unlike this viral internet video. "Killing an Arab" was, predictably, mis-interpreted as a call to xenophobic violence (then, after Sept. 11, mis-interpreted as such all over again), and as a result is now nearly impossible to find. Which is a shame, as it's not only a really good song but also, in fact, a re-imagining of a scene from Camus' The Stranger.
I should also disclose that "Jumping Someone Else's Train" to this day sends me into involuntary spasms of air bass... Some other thoughts:
#441, No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom: One can only assume that the Stefanis are very proud of their supremely talented and wildly successful daughter. I'm not sure why that's the first thing that occurs to me as I sit down to write this, and perhaps it's a bit paternalistic, but it's also true. Gwen and friends came out of Orange County and just kicked the world's ass. This record happened while I was at the height of my Mighty Mighty Bosstones obsession, so I largely missed it. Nice to go back and give it another listen, though.
#440: Beck's Sea Change: Beck largely eschewed his trademark sonic experimentation on this beautifully melancholic record for a turn toward introspection and quietude, in the wake of the dissolution of his engagement (he discovered she'd been cheating on him, after nine years; Ouch). Madonna talked about naked emotion in regards to Music. Beck achieved it, in spades, on Sea Change. Singles were "Guess I'm Doing Fine" and "Lost Cause," but stand-outs for me are opener "The Golden Age," "Sunday Sun" and "Little One," the latter two of which find Beck exploring an urgency in his voice not expressed to quite the same degree elsewhere on the record.
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