Anaesthesiology is one of my favourite records of the summer so far. Of course, the end of my PhD funding has meant I've bought very few other records this summer at all, but I'm pretty sure this would be up there regardless. It's funny, because neither the stormy cover nor subject-matter of some of the songs really lend themselves to sunny days, but it works. Maybe it's the massive choruses and occasional-horns. It probably has a lot to do with how eager I was to hear some new ONSIND songs and the number of times I played the record/mp3s in those first few weeks.
I've raved about ONSIND on here a number of times, so it's no surprise that I pre-ordered the new album as soon as it came out (which came on clear vinyl and with a very nice pin-badge, as seen below). I'd watched the video to the album's closer Dissatisfactions beforehand, which only served to add to my excitement for the rest of the album. As ever, ONSIND tackle a bunch of topics and I felt slightly more knowledgeable for having listened to them. You've got to like a band who quote both Shakespeare and Terminator 2 and squeeze such witty lines into serious songs (God Hates Facts is full of them - "There's no such thing as booze for free" is one of my favourites).
Which brings me round to that song. I remember playing this record for the first time (although, to be fair, it wasn't all that long ago; I'm normally much slower at getting round to writing about records) and being amazed God Hates Facts. I'd been enjoying the eight songs that had already played but, for me, that song stepped it up a gear - the violins and the never-ending stream of lyrics blew me away that first time, and they still do now. The whole thing somehow creeps up on you, and I love it. It's almost certainly my favourite song on the LP, although Pokemon City Limits (with it's excellent chorus) and Dissatisfactions are both highlights too (ONSIND have a habit of putting some of my favourite songs at the start and end of their albums). I managed to catch the London show of their full-band tour recently, which worked brilliantly well - the newer songs have a fuller sound anyway, and Calvinball have taught me that Heterosexuality is a Construct sounds great as a full-band punk song.
I may have only been listening to this record for two and a half months, but we all knew I'd be praising it on here sooner or later.
Format: 12", a4 insert, metal pin-badge
Tracks: 10
Cost: £10.50 new
Bought: Website
When: 29/04/13
Colour: Clear
Etching: none
mp3s: Download code
