The Suburbs - Credit in Heaven
#405
September 25 1981 LISTENING POST DISCOVERY
The Suburbs
Credit In Heaven
Genre: New Wave
4.5 out of 5
Highlights:
Faith
Tape Your Wife to the Ceiling
Spring Came
Girlfriend
Music for Boys
Side One is a herky jerky attack and then Side Two is more groovy and expansive without losing the energy.
Side Three touches on what REM will become. I hear them all over “Spring Came” and the lovely “Girlfriend”, before the return of The Feelies meets Here Ubu on “Postcard”.
Side Four is probably the most experimental of them all and, why not? If you’ve made it this long, what are you gonna do, turn the thing off?
That first record was such a delicious new Wave entry that it only makes sense that The Suburbs would follow it up with…a double album of skittish licks and rhythm jitters.
Really, guys? A double album?
Why???
Why not save something for 1982?!?
There’s not a little religion on this record, the title track and “Faith” in particular. They also offer up “Drinking with an Angel” among others in this motif. But it’s not just that stuff. And I’m glad it’s not.
The Talking Heads/Pere Ubu influences are obvious.
It flags about as the repetition grates, but that just happened to me on “Pipsqueak Millionaire”, which was when I really wanted it to end but, then it did and I realized that I loved this record.
This is an odd little party record. But, without a doubt, it could soundtrack just about any summer backyard get together. I know, weird. None of the songs are catchy but they are innocuous. They are demanding but also easily become part of the background.
Also, it is advised that you only drink one cup of coffee while listening to this record.
Why is my eye twitching…?
