The Wedding Present - El Rey Review
Posted by James Palm on 05.30.2008
Seemingly the most disagreeable man in indie rock, David Gedge and a new line-up return to The Wedding Present with the band's 8th studio album. Teaming for a second time with Steve Albini, Gedge has produced what could be the best album from a 48 year old man this year.
For years I have held the opinion that once a single member of a band departs, the dynamic of said band changes forever. On certain stubborn occasions, I have argued that some bands should consider changing their name. In all honesty, this is true only for a very small number of artists, such as Dinosaur Jr. Most bands make the right choice, such as Led Zeppelin. Then you have bands which over time transform into the moniker of just one person. The last two decades have seen an incredibly rotating lineup for English act The Wedding Present. Debuting in 1985 with the seminal George Best, founding member David Gedge is all that remains from that early indie classic. One successful collaborator of his has been producer of the gods Steve Albini, who returns to continue the path he tread with Gedge on 1991’s Seamonsters.
The beginning of this working relationship coincided with the emergence of Gedge as the captain of the proverbial Wedding Present ship, though he had always been the main songwriter for the band. Albini’s wall of – for lack of better term - scuz sound technique compliments Gedge’s laconic songwriting, both elements feeding off each other on “Soup”, a song of bizarre romance with a frenzied riff as soundtrack. Albini does manage to sneak in some self-indulgence towards the end of the track, perhaps just to get the drone out of his system. Despite the occasional excess, the only time Albini gets in the way is on “I Lost The Monkey”. At times there are almost too many sounds to comprehend; though the noises he makes are pleasing to the ear, Terry De Castro’s bass tends to overpower the rest of the group.
Gedge’s sustainability is testament to his eccentric talents. His style of affable storytelling is the kind that planted the seeds for the Death Cab for Cuties of the indie family tree years ago. On what is the eight studio album for The Wedding Present, Gedge’s scenery takes a notable trip to California, though he retains his time-honoured themes of love and heartbreak. “Spider-Man On Hollywood” features no web-slinging, instead the very notion of Sam Raimi’s film serves as a catalyst for a lamentation over a lost lover. Unfortunately, Gedge can only be so clever some of the time, as some songs seem drawn out by tedious lyrics. “Palisades” is one such offender, though the majority of the album is a cut above this lazy ballad.
Much like The Wedding Present themselves/himself, El Rey goes through changes, with shifts in pace and mood. The curious cheerfulness of most of the material is broken up by longer miserable songs. “Model, Actress, Whatever...” finds Gedge pouring out his soul to the women of the internet as he sings When I stare at you/OK, it’s just a .jpeg/I have a few. As insignificant as this may seem, it’s heartening to see a songwriter close to 50 who can reference a picture format. Gedge doesn’t spend the whole album sounding pitiful though. Opener “Santa Ana Winds” contains Gedge at his roughest, De Castro this time duelling with Chris McConville’s guitar assaults, a mesmerizing song to kick off the album.
Age shall be no barrier certainly applies to the songs Gedge has compiled. Moments during “The Thing I Like Best About Him Is His Girlfriend” rival any indie rock released this year; the experimentation with sound effects and math-rock rhythms give this song weight beyond its 4 and a half minutes. Albini again shines with Gedge’s material, uplifting small moments to giddy heights. The gem of the album comes right in the middle, as Gedge stands up for himself on “The Trouble With Men”. The emotion rises from a simple drum beat to a swirling buildup before an enthusiastic climax, the distant keyboards adding so much while Gedge turns nasty, singing “So there I go again/I guess it’s just the trouble with men/Which brings me to you”.
Through to the twisted groove of closer “Swingers”, the latest album from The Wedding Present is a wonder. While he can never hope to challenge what he achieved as a youngster, Gedge is able to channel all his anxiety into his music and again deliver a solid album with yet another line-up. Artists of his maturity are rarely this consistent. Outside of the personality he depicts in his confessional lyrics, he shows no signs of wear and tear. If this line-up can remain steady, and Albini is back on board, future Wedding Present albums will be more than welcome.
The Hit - The Thing I Like Best About Him Is His Girlfriend The Encore - The Trouble With Men The Wah? - Palisades
The 411: The Wedding Present will always be the best band that no one has heard of, which doesn't worry them a bit. El Rey shifts between hopelessness and exuberance so effortlessly, it makes you believe that you too can get over the worst of heartbreaks. Rather than a throwback to the musical era which spawned him, Gedge's latest effort stands confidently alongside today's genre-hopping youngsters, who are obliged to tip their hats to their crazy English uncle.
