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Come Home - The Distractions EP Review

Posted: 14th November 2010
Review Info
Rating:
4.5 out of 5
Release Date:
15th Nov 2010
Label:
Occultation
Reviewer:
Paul Pledger

EP Review

Having already recently reviewed a single by The Distractions (Black Velvet), I feel compelled to let you just discover the band for yourselves without blabbing on about their history. But, sod that, Im going to anyway. Its OK Ill be brief.

Formed in 1975, the once-pop band outfit drew on punk influences from 1977 onwards, released their debut 12 in 1979 (Youre Not Going Out Dressed Like That), recorded one of the greatest indie-pop singles EVER in 1980 for Factory (Times Goes By So Slow) and ended up being signed to Island for a few excellent singles and a slightly hit-and-miss album, still awaiting a respectful reissue (hint, hint).

2010 has seen a virtual hive of activity for original members Mike Finney and Steve Perrin, with two EP releases, this being the second. Come Home has a couple of title-connotations, one being that bassist and producer Nick Garside and Perrin have travelled from half-way round the world to record the three songs, plus Garside produced James single of the same name. He also produced another fabulous indie single in Brighter by The Railway Children in 1987 hes got the chops, all right.

Lost kicks this EP off in stunning fashion if Pulp had written this, the entire population of good-taste world would be jumping on this, playing it and giggling like kids but, as it is, its by The Distractions and echoes the crackling under-current of energy and unrequited romantic delusions expressed on their early singles. This is right up there with the best singles of the year, no contest. And theres more flip side Oil Painting is back to slightly more maudlin and melancholic retroisms, yet hasnt been penned by the usual duo Finney and Perrin. Instead Occultation label-guide Nick Halliwell wrote the wondrous homage to barbed lyricists ever youve gotta love lines like The camera doesnt lie/Youre no oil painting/but neither am I.

Third song Nicole is a charming mid-tempo offensive on the emotional souls out there, neither world changing nor forgettable, yet still a better pop-song than most can muster these days.

A round-up album of their very early output (plus a pile of shelved 90s material) will appear in 2011, something that collectors are seriously hankering for, but this sumptuously packaged artefact is more than enough to share a good pint with during the winter. Marvellous.

Paul Pledger