I've been putting off writing about this record for a while, mostly because there's no particularly exciting tale to go with it. The record is great but, from the point of view of this blog, there's nothing that dramatic to say - I saw Bangers a bunch of times, liked them a lot and eventually bought the LP. Pretty much exactly how these things are supposed to work. I have no idea when I first saw them, but they played South Wales a bunch of times when I lived in Cardiff and it was definitely sometime in those two years.
I was looking to spend some money in Banquet last February and figured it was about time I picked up Small Pleasures. I had a couple of other Bangers songs on the Brits Abroad 7" and the 7" with Kelly Kemp, El Morgan and The Arteries so I decided it was a safe bet (I also ended up buying Furniture by Fugazi and Handholder by Grown Ups that day). I liked it but the first few listens I thought that lyrically it was just about, you know, stuff 'n' things and broken computers. However I then listened to it with the lyrics in front of me and there's a lot more going on; there's a lot of self-doubt and confusion, and it's always nice to be reminded that other people haven't quite got it all figured out yet either. The line "The last thing I need is any more things" always comes to mind whenever I move house.
Slightly off-topic, but the song Church Street in Ruins made me realise that the Cut Ups album Paris Street in Ruins (which I assume they're referencing, and not just a coincidence) is about a street in Exeter called Paris Street rather than, as I'd thought for years, an arbitrary street in Paris. Whenever I thought of that album, I pictured a Parisian street full of rubble, probably caused by the guy on the cover with the small head and huge guitar. I've never been to Exeter, so it's harder to picture the Paris Street that The Cut Ups were actually (probably) talking about. So there you are, an interesting story related to this album did appear after all.
I'm pretty rubbish at reviewing albums for their musical content, so I tend not to. Small Pleasures is very good and I recommend you check it out.
Format: 12", insert
Tracks: 10
Cost: £11 new
Bought: Banquet Records
When: 22/02/12
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: no
