0898 Beautiful South

Despite being one of England's most successful bands, it wasn't until 0898, their third album, that the Beautiful South found an audience in the US. This success (though by no means huge) might be explained by the fact that the band adopted a slightly more muscular sound on the album. Where in the past they had used deceptively sweet, even sentimental, musical backing, here there are slashing guitars and gruesomely bubbling bass lines to toughen the sound. Fans can rest easy, though, the band's unbelievable cruel and bitter lyrics remain in full force--for proof, look no further than "Something That You Said", which begins "The perfect love song/ it has no words/ it only has death threats". plus...

Standouts include "We Are Each Other", a peppy but claustrophobic love song propelled by a meaty bass line, "36D", an ambiguous tract on prostitution which starts on a quiet but vicious note before exploding into a snarling rocker during the choruses, and "Here It Is Again", another in the band's series of screeds on horrific-sounding relationships, which here is presented with a roiling cauldron of guitars, military drums, and booming piano.

Q (May/92, p.71)
- 3 Stars - Good - "..The Beautiful South offers us boozers and losers, reshaping the world and overthrowing the government from the comfort of a bar stool.."

Audio Magazine (11/92, p.122)
- "..The Beautiful South effortlessly renders their sophisticated pop melodies and signature lyricism with silken production...wickedly clever.."