STYLE: Rock RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 11592-CAS136 LABEL: Independent FORMAT: Cassette Album
Reviewed by Chris Berry
Another album from the Small & Hairy recording stable that sparked the brilliant 'Hamster Tracks' compilat-iron. This time those wacky Hull funsters have an album all to themselves. Following on from the cassette single 'Whitegold Jazz' this time we have 'White-gold Rock'. What next? 'Whitegold Reggae'? Anyhow, this owes much to the off-the-wall lyrics of the band's Paul Ganney. His songs come across by far the strongest, check out "Knife Edge" with it's quirky, almost Psycho-style arrangement and the utter crass, yet vividly described party scene of "Flat Reflections". It will never win Mr Ganney universal appeal, falling somewhere between Squeeze and Sex Pistols yet lines like "As I'm led out by the armpit I apologise for the carpet" are great pop lines. But hold on, this is a Christian band, surely it's not meant to be about drink and resulting illnesses? You have to credit Paul with a remarkably tongue in cheek stance, he writes of real life, real happenings, real people... and then poses the question "Why Am I Alone?". On any other album (non-Christian) this would be regarded as an epic, "I Turn My Back On You" turns up here too (previously a 'Hamster Track'). "Chains Of Love" would make a great single and features the voice of lead singer Helen Wass at her best. The only disappointments are the over distortion of guitar work at times and an extremely poor rendition of Giantkiller's old fave "Fire Coming Down", Otherwise a jolly good warts 'n' all intro to a band who are clearly enjoying themselves
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