After a decade or so of sharing the mantle of obscure British pop with countless other bands who were heretofore thought of as "unexportable," Pulp have landed on Letterman. But as encouraging as that may seem, I'm not sure we're to expect other trans-Atlantic miracles to happen (The Fall on Leno!?!) any time soon. But should wonders occur, an equally resilient and probably more deserving candidate could be The Wedding Present.
Headed up by one David Gedge since sometime 1985, the long-standing Leeds troupe can deliver wound up, heartfelt guitar musings along with the best of them. For proof positive, interested parties should definitely explore Mini. Fleshed out for its American release with three extra tracks (there's a switch), this is the Weddoes with their up tempo, noisy face on mostly. From "Drive," the disc's opener, with its caution to the wind lyric and blissfully semi-frenetic guitar break, much of the ensuing pace is set - hopped up tempos that Gedge can croon over all ultra-passionate like. Which is a good sign. When last surveyed (sometime around "SeaMonsters," 1991) , the band had adopted some weighty modes at the angry young hands of one Steve Albini. But for the moment the attitude swerves between carefree and wrenched with anxiety or lust. And while decidedly not low-fi, the honest, unpolished production adds much to the air of sincerity.
The vocal stance that Gedge maintains almost demands recollections of Joy Division vox Ian Curtis, but longtime supporter John Peel differs with me on this point. You decide. When you wind your way towards track 7 ("Sucker"), he reminds one of a slightly more tuneful Mark E. Smith, and the band joins in the sentiment with a fairly minimalist bop and the edgy guitars of said Manchester legends. But there's some sweet add on vocals from bassist Jayne Lockey here and there and some well placed organ on "Convertible" that round out the sound palette.
But if you'd rather poke and prod at what Gedge is getting at though, you'll see him in a continual tussle with personal connection past and present and the auto as a means of dealing with either. Is it a thin concept? Perhaps, but there's a verite to the Weddoes overall presentation that puts off any unnecessary carping. The coming year, with another album due by autumn, should be promising. And as a brief installment to highlight where Gedge has taken this vehicle since its inception, Mini stands as a worthwhile venture. Not bad at all for common people.
