I normally wait a while before writing about a record on here - it's nice to have time to properly get into it - but I've been playing this record pretty much solidly for the last three weeks so I feel I know it pretty well already. My year so far can broken up into three distinct phases: not aware The Cut Ups were writing or had a new album coming out; being excited that the Cut Ups had a new record coming out; and excitedly playing the new Cut Ups record. Each period of time has been better than the last.
Over the last five years The Cut Ups' first two albums have been in very heavy rotation on my hifi and I've been looking forward to new album for ages. Luckily, Building Bridges doesn't disappoint, which says a lot given how high my hopes were set. This time they've stepped up their game even more than before - it's still the Cut Ups but there's so much more going on. Firstly, pretty much everyone they know gets a go on vocals and the number of people in the band is growing linearly with each album. All the extra instruments add a lot and its noticeable straight away on Exeter. The songs feel fuller and more varied, but work well together. Lyrically they're still picking fights against wrong-doing of any size, something I always liked about The Cut Ups, and I'll be Over Directly actually offers some solutions. I'm not quite taken by Another Bad Mood yet, but it is incredibly catchy. It's nice to hear Torches get another airing too.
I pre-ordered almost as soon as the pre-sale went up on Household Name and the record arrived two days early, which was greatly appreciated. The art work is incredible and by far one of the best sleeves I've seen this year (an old housemate of mine used to use the phrase "build a bridge" as a very annoying way of telling someone to get over something). Unfortunately, the record slightly knifed the inner-sleeve in the post, but I'll forgive that for the fact it was early. The blue vinyl is lovely and the cd copy included means there's nowhere I can go where I can't play the album. In Exeter Jon sings "There was a thought / I didn't need the stuff that I bought". I see his point (despite writing a blog about stuff I've bought), but disagree because I very much need this record in my life.
I'm seeing The Cut Ups on Thursday for the first time in years (I've missed a few London shows - last August I bailed on their Windmill show to go on the first date with my girlfriend, and in July this year I ended up going to see Soundgarden instead). Annoyingly, Tall Ships are playing Kingston the same night at New Slang and I'm pretty sure it's going to be impossible to get from Camden to Kingston in time for them. I've not played the Tall Ships record yet, but I'm pretty sure going to see The Cut Ups will be the right choice.
Format: 12", picture sleeve
Tracks: 11
Cost: £11 new
Bought: Household Name Records
When: 22/09/12
Colour: Blue
Etching: none
mp3s: cd
