Wreckless Eric: Leisureland 

Tapete Data

CD / LP / DL

Launched 25 August 2023

Regarded as a New Wave One Hit Marvel with Complete Broad World (which has been coated, in adverts, movies and even performed on the Superbowl)

Eric has launched twenty-odd albums in forty-odd years since beneath varied names. He’s an beneath the radar family title in homes the place his erratic genius is recognised and appreciated. That is his newest album. Ged Babey critiques.

His album AmERICa from 2015, in my not-so-humble opinion, is Eric Gouldens most persistently sensible album. It’s full of nice songs.

Half of Bungalow Hello (2004) was utter genius in a Lou Reed ‘Berlin’ kinda method, solely relocated to Kent.

The Hitsville Home Band album too was a darkish, humorous however flawed masterpiece.

Eric appears conscious that he by some means, generally, self-sabotages his albums as a result of in his music about fanboys like me, Wow and Flutter (from 2018’s patchy Development Time and Demolition) he sings “And right here come the discords / Right here comes the bit / That’s gonna cease this from being a success”.

That mentioned, sonically and production-wise, Leisureland is among the most lovely sounding information Eric has ever made. Keyboards nearly dominate at instances however the guitar-playing has a beautiful twanging tremolo’d sound.  This isn’t the discordant psychedelic lo-fi of his earlier trilogy of albums.

The perfect monitor on the album is arguably Inside The Majestic (under). It’s an instrumental – so none of his ‘strangled cat’ (copyright- the Peterborough Information 2014) vocals  It’s simply lovely. Laidback and groovy. A 60’s vibe that’s by some means evocative of seaside cities within the South of England.  It’s like a theme tune to a Mike Leigh remake of Up The Junction set in coastal city.  One thing like that. It sounds good and analogue: Meek and delicate : Keyboards and guitars rubbing shoulders and snuggling up on a rug like a cat and a canine who get on rather well. Licking every others ears.

There are just a few interlinked songs about an imagined place referred to as Standing Water the place a younger storage band made up of John, Paul, George and Alan reside and rehearse, taking part in what will get dubbed the Standing Water Sound, however failing to get on the native radio ‘Standing FM – ‘the native anaesthetic’.  These will not be Rutles-style pastiche in any respect, however sensible songs, sympathetic to the imagined topics who’ve many a real-life equal.

Earlier than the pandemic I used to tour on a regular basis – it was nearly as if I used to be hooked on it – new locations, new individuals. Through the lockdown I couldn’t go wherever. I believe that’s why I began to invent a spot.

When Standing Water first got here alongside I had the British seaside city of Cromer in North Norfolk in thoughts. It shortly encompassed different seaside cities till it grew to become its personal place. British seaside cities with their stagnant boating lakes (stuffed in and arrange for Loopy Golf) are a most peculiar contradiction – amusement arcades, unemployment. Folks flock in, spend cash, however the locals don’t get wealthy, they get pushed out. They find yourself on the Brownfield Property, tucked away behind the out of city grocery store, the place native youngsters play on grassed-over landfills that seep methane gasoline

It’s not fairly an idea album although:  Southern Rock is a Erics teenage desires of America while residing in South-East England in 1971.

Badhat City might simply as prone to be impressed by small city USA.

Radium Ladies (Dial Painters) is totally unrelated to the opposite songs and really severe subject material, that has been coated in documentaries and dramatizations for TV.  The subtlety with which Eric as an older-white-male offers with a patriarchal scandal is admirable.  A younger feminine band would method it with discordant rage (understandably).  However Eric reciting directions and encouragement to the victims to ‘lick the comb, get a effective, effective level on the comb’ is each chilling and sympathetic to the trigger.  The Radium ladies all died resulting from ingesting carcinogenic phosphorus.

Leisureland does trail-off a bit song-wise with pretty instrumentals and brief, impressionistic songs referred to as Tipping Level and Esplanade By Moonlight that are mellow and set a relaxed temper.

Excessive Seas Received and Lost I don’t fairly perceive lyrically, however I do know Eric may be very happy with.  Drag Time that closes the album has an incredible refrain/hook with a repeated ‘Getcha self a a method ticket to the merry-go-round’ and goes again to the times when he was ‘falling in love on the dole’.  Perhaps his near-death expertise made him assume again to his youth as this album is far more England based mostly than his ‘American Trilogy’.

I’ll depart the ultimate phrases to Eric, by way of the press launch, from label of high quality and distinction, Tapete.

After I was rising up in South East England I didn’t know the way the world was laid out although I had a reasonably good concept that it was fucked-up. However my parameters had been slender – I lived an enclosed life. A stroll to the tip of the highway, a bus journey, a practice, a brief stroll to the varsity gates on the different finish. All the time the identical bus, the identical practice, and the identical stroll. I bought a bicycle and the chances widened – journey away from dwelling for half a day, spend the opposite half driving again. Then I discovered to hitchhike, I hitched rides to Brighton to see rock bands who generally got here from America. I understood that the world was greater than I first thought it was however I nonetheless hadn’t been a lot additional than the tip of the highway.

I ought to inform you concerning the new album, however I can’t – you’ll should determine that out for your self. It shouldn’t be troublesome. There’s a cough on each certainly one of my later albums. This one breaks with custom, it incorporates a sniff. There could be a small prize if you could find it, maybe a weekend getaway for 3 individuals in Standing Water.

Welcome to Leisureland.

It’s an incredible place to go to.  An amazing Eric album with flashes of genius, and the same old mixture of comedy & tragedy and on a regular basis drama became music within the fashion that’s all his personal.

Purchase Lesiureland from right here

Eric on tour. 

Bandcamp again catalogue

Newer again catalogue Bandcamp

All phrases Ged Babey

The Ged Babey/ Wreckless Eric Interview is coming quickly to Louder Than Warfare