Album Review: The Wedding Present, Going, Going…

The late John Peel memorably said The Fall were “always different, always the same.” This also applies to the mighty Wedding Present, another Peel favourite – a band responsible for the stone-cold classic albums George Best, Bizarro and Seamonsters and a string of thrilling singles such as ‘Kennedy’ and ‘Brassneck’.

David Gedge and company keep the fire lit with their tenth studio album Going, Going... which will be released with a series of twenty short accompanying films. The opening four tracks are instrumentals: they represent some of the most surprising and beautiful music they’ve ever created.

The familiar burr of David Gedge’s voice finally arrives on ‘Two Bridges’ and from there on, the Weddos continue their penchant for one or two-word titles, with ‘Birdnest’, ‘Secretary’, ‘Rachel’ and ‘Wales’ on what is essentially a double album from the Leeds alt rock institution. The soaring feedback on ‘Bells’ induces goosebumps, while ‘Fifty-Six’ is reminiscent of their early career classic ‘My Favourite Dress’.

As John Peel put it so beautifully: “The boy Gedge has written some of the best love songs of the rock ‘n’ roll era. You may dispute this, but I’m right and you’re wrong.”