Reviewed by Jim Coursey
Released: 1981 Mother's Ruin ... Want More Genre: New Wave Rating: 3 out of 5 Highlights: Want More Chessman Hommage Laugh And Shout The first full album by Swiss band Mother’s Ruin is a fun, if typical, romp somewhere between the no nonsense attitude of punk and the stylish pop swagger of new wave. They could have opened for Nena’s first band The Stripes, but are rougher around the edges than that Blondie-esque unit. Their punk edge is all bratty snarl that rarely lands a bite, but it gives them a veneer of authenticity that their subsequent, more polished recordings fail to achieve. Singer Sylvia Holenstein yelps her way through the catchy punky title track and opener “Want More”, a song which feels like the single though there apparently wasn’t one. Most songs stay in this mode, some faring better than others. The flanged guitars of “Chessman” are a touch reminiscent of psychedelic-period Siouxsie and the Banshees, which is a subtle but pleasant respite from the more straightforward punky numbers. Equally memorable is the scornful rant of “Hommage”, which is as savage as the album gets. Some lesser offerings come towards the end, starting with German language “cowboy tune” Sacramento Johnni. As an American, I can’t bother mustering even a polite smile when Europeans try to make semi-jokey cowboy/country western music – it’s not offensive, it’s just bad. So too with this one, which also loses points for being sung by the “band” with minimal help from the more charismatic Holenstein. Meanwhile their Lou Reed cover “Rock’n’Roll” was probably fun as an encore but imminently forgettable on album. But they save their very best for last, with the irresistible “Laugh and Shout.” This song takes more cowbell than Christopher Walken could dream of and turns it into the unexpected feel good closer to this mostly acidic album. If most of the album paints by the numbers, here the band has finally found their voice. It’s a shame they appear to have never replicated the moment.
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