The Spectacle - glow in the dark soul

Years ago there was a band called The Cherry Smash who released an EP which sank without trace and is only now remembered on retro weird indie blogs. This wasn't the end of the story though as the band re-emerged on a major label (Island) as The Spectacle and released this album, like the Cherry Smash EP though it also sank without trace.

One of the reasons for that though was The Spectacle was too late. This album came out in 1998 but sounded at least 4 or 5 years out of date. It actually does indeed sound like an album that took ages to come about, the earlier tracks like "Nowhere generation" which reappears more or less identical to the Cherry Smash version are good examples of early 90s neo-psychedelia whereas some of the later tracks sound rather Brit Pop (and personally i hate most Brit Pop). In some ways this album sounds like a career spanning best of!

Anyway this is a bit of a lost gem, take "Stargazing" with its jingle-jangle fuzz and indie beat, if that came out in 1991 it probably would have been an indie dancefloor smash. As it was in 1998 it probably was a bit of a "meh" moment. Well that matters not, in these more enlightened times The Spectacle's album is one you really ought to try and track down. Its one of those albums where the good songs are damn good and you forgive the bad ones easily.