Reading, Writing And Arithmetic
by The Sundays

This is a stunning debut that has done nothing but grow in influence since its release. Its simple guitar-driven approach matched with Harriet Wheeler's distinctively sweet voice were a great rebuttal to the overproduced garbage of late 80's glam metal, rap and pop (the same could be said of music now, perhaps more so). The album achieved some measure of buzz at the time, mostly due to the amazing singles "Here's Where the Story Ends" and "You're Not the Only One I Know". Both are true gems with catchy guitar hooks, smart lyrics and of course Harriet. The former however sounds conspicuously like The Smiths "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side". In fact, The Sundays sound a whole lot like The Smiths in general. The guitars are clearly Marr-inspired. The bass and drums are well played and willingly take a back seat to the guitar and dominating vocals much like Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce did. Harriet could well be Brit Pop's female answer to Morrissey with her literate lyrics and smooth & unique though somewhat overbearing voice. I love the way both vocalists sound but there are people who find both incredibly annoying over time since they are so unique and often overwhelm the music to such a complete extent.
Still I want to give this album its due. It is excellent and there are few if any weak tracks. Aside from those mentioned above, "I Won", "I Kicked a Boy" and "Joy" are standouts. You may only know the band from their cover of The Stones "Wild Horses" that was used in a commercial.

What words can I use to sum up this album?

Melancholy, romantic, jangly, dreamy & feminine will do quite nicely.


Strong points:

Harriet Wheeler's vocals are the obvious focal point, and I think you'll either love or loathe them, I personally love them. They're enchanting and extremely feminine & sweet, yet also very moody with a hint of sadness to them. She sings in a high (not Kate Bush high, but still high), sometimes breathy, almost teenage-like voice that is unique. On this album they sometimes lack a little restraint which is present on their later albums. Still, when you take into account that she had no musical background and this album was done only a year or so after the band formed, it is amazing how well she does.

Guitar work is of a high standard and quite similar to The Smiths in sound, maybe not as aggressively rhythmic as Johnny Marr's playing but nonetheless pleasant and ethereal, they suit the voice well. The melodies do a good job of capturing a quaint and melancholy mood that is uniquely British.


Bad points:

Production is not bad, though maybe a little heavy on the reverb. I both like and dislike it for the same reasons as albums by The Chameleons, which are similarly reverb drenched. Bass is a bit low in the mix for my tastes. I think they did a better job on their second album, it's a bit more cleaner but also less overwhelming and more detailed.

Lyrics are a mixed bag. In one of the best songs on the album, "You're Not The Only One I know", they rhyme lavatory with lavatory in the first verse. I know toilets are cool, but that's just annoying when you use the same word like that. While the vocals themselves are fantastic, the words overall are kind of forgettable.


I'll give this one 7.5/10. Two or three excellent songs, and a bunch of OK songs. That's kind of the pattern on their other two albums as well, though in my opinion Static & Silence is their strongest overall album.

From Secondsoul 01/28/2013 13:51 | #63169 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

'Here's Where The Story Ends' is the highlight but overall it's a top album!

From Fischman TOP 100 COMMENTER 04/22/2019 17:35 | #235396 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Interesting compositions, cool groove, laid back but plaintive and engaging vibe. And really, really nice vocals. I’m smitten. (Edited)

There may be too much good musicaround to hear too much of a particular band. Not the case of The Sundays. This album is a very good vehicle for transmitting their many and varied musical talents and should, by all rights, put C86 on the map for allcomers; even those who may be tired of the endless Indie themes and variations. (Edited)