Search - Wedding Present :: Seamonsters

Classic Gedge

Richard | Rochester NY, USA | 06/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If The Wedding Present came from Seattle they would probably be held in the same esteem as Nirvana are nowadays. "Seamonsters" was released the same year as "Nevermind" but is relatively obscure compared to that monster album. Still, sales alone does not a great album make and this is right up there with "Nevermind" in quality (some may argue that it's better).
"Seamonsters" moved away from the all out "fast and furious" approach of it's predecessor "Bizzaro". It is a lot more dynamic with delicate passages of music that sound like they're almost going to fall apart giving way to fierce multilayered guitar assaults. Breathtaking stuff and definitely not easy listening. That's not to say that there isn't any sweet pop music on this album "Heather", "Rotterdam" and "Dalliance" are wonderful tunes that point to Gedge's future pop writings with Cinerama and the Hit Parade tracks that immediately followed this album.
Lyrically he's again talking about love that has been lost, but the scenarios are more varied and unconventional this time around ("Octopussy" being an example). If you're fed up with the hundreds of dour "nu-metal" (or whatever they're calling it this week) soundalike [stuff] that clogs up the airwaves at the moment, this album will be a breath of fresh air. Honest music, honest production...awesome."

One of the ten best of the '90s

bpearis | 07/30/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Seamonsters took a while for me to appreciate, mainly due to Steve Albini's production style. Production is probably the wrong word as it seems like he puts a couple microphones in the back of the recording studio and that's it. David Gedge's lyrics are a bit drowned-out in the mix. Having a lyric sheet would have aided things greatly.But once you get past that, Seamonsters is the greatest loud-soft-loud (a style which Nirvana made very popular that same year -- hell, same month -- with Nevermind) album ever. "Dalliance" builds with Gedge's anger to a fury of noise that's just incredible. The whole album's great. Albini's approach to recording the band (which had previously suffered from serious '80s-itis over-reverbing), brings out the bands strengths -- not just Peter Salowka's blurry strumming but the intensity of Simon Smith's drumming. Albini may make any band seem noisier than usual, but he gets the drums right (see PJ Harvey's Dry or Nirvana's In Uetero). Every song is fantastic. A must-own."

This album cannot fail to move you.

bpearis | 04/30/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A very underrated band who have been making powerful, teen-angst albums for years. Seamonsters is the best - a kind of cross between Nirvana and The Smiths without the inflated sense of self-importance. David Gedge's strained vocals singing tales of loss and unrequited love backed by a wall of distorted guitars, stand like a beacon of honesty in these times of throwaway pop anthems."