| The Wedding Present — Going Going (2 September 2016) |
The Wedding Present — Going Going (2 September 2016) 
≡♦≡ The Wedding Present goes 3,000 miles, covers familiar ground on new LP. David Lewis Gedge, a British songwriter who so adroitly captured a certain strand of youthful bedsit weltschmerz in the formative part of his career, is now only four years away from qualifying for his Senior Person’s Railcard. So whilst it may not simply be a coincidence that there is a track entitled “Fifty–Six” on the ninth studio album by the long-standing doyens of indie heartache that Gedge has led following their formation in Leeds a generation ago, he’s sure as hell not mellowing with age.
≡♦≡ 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! — John Peel
Location: Leeds, England, United Kingdom
Album release: 2 September 2016
Record Label: Scopitones
Genre: Post~Punk, Indie Rock
Duration: 77:50
Tracks:
01. Kittery 5:33
02. Greenland 3:02
03. Marblehead 3:50
04. Sprague 2:43
05. Two Bridges 3:58
06. Little Silver 4:40
07. Bear 4:19
08. Secretary 2:01
09. Birdsnest 3:35
10. Kill Devil Hills 2:26
11. Bells 3:34
12. Fifty–Six 4:41
13. Fordland 2:50
14. Emporia 4:29
15. Broken Bow 2:39
16. Lead 2:50
17. Ten Sleep 2:12
18. Wales 4:28
19. Rachel 3:44
20. Santa Monica 10:16
Members:
≡♦≡ David Gedge vocals, guitar (1985–1997, 2004–present)
≡♦≡ Charles Layton drums (2005, 2009–present)
≡♦≡ Katharine Wallinger bass (2013–present)
≡♦≡ Samuel Beer–Pearce guitar (2013–present)
√ Going, Going... is the title of the widely anticipated ninth studio album from UK indie darlings, The Wedding Present, but, in typical Wedding Present fashion... it’s not a conventional release! the album tells the story of a road trip across the USA, revealed across a collection of twenty linked songs, each with an accompanying short film. Always challenging and experimental, the idea to release the new project in a multi–media format is something that has been marinating with bandleader David Gedge for some time. As he points out, work began soon after the unveiling of The Wedding Present’s 2012 critically acclaimed album Valentina . ‘I’d already decided by then that I didn’t want to make the next release just another album and so I came up with the idea of twenty interconnected pieces of music. Then, in the summer of 2014 I travelled across the USA with photographer Jessica McMillan and we made some atmospheric short films to accompany the tracks. Since then it’s been a case of progressing through the music, trying all sorts of ideas, seeing how they work set against the visuals.’ Recorded at Studios La Fabrique in the south of France and Parr Street Studios in Liverpool with multiple Grammy award winning producer Andrew Scheps (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Sabbath, Adele) the resulting twenty tracks represent arguably The Wedding Present’s finest work to date, with Gedge, as always, showing himself to be the unrivalled master at observing human relationships from an everyman perspective but with the touch and artistry of a poet. Uncharacteristically, the album opens with four hauntingly beautiful instrumental songs, including the cinematic Sprague and the absolutely captivating Marblehead . Going, Going... then takes a headlong dash through tracks such as Two Bridges, Birdsnest, Kill Devil Hills and Broken Bow ... all perfectly executed in classic Wedding Present fashion; a jangle of clanging guitars, a squeal of feedback and a rush of adrenaline. Few come as close to articulating the trials and pitfalls of a relationship in ways so instantly recognisable to the listener as David Gedge; his lyrics’ naturalism and truthfulness accentuated by his earthy accent. With Little Silver, Bear, Lead and Rachel he proves yet again that he is a virtuoso when it comes to the bittersweet love song; his knack for a simple turn of phrase perfectly articulating the banalities and ecstasies of a relationship. Whilst they are the undoubted masters of frenetic indie–pop, The Wedding Present re–route momentarily on Emporia and Wales before ultimately immersing us in an epic album finale with Santa Monica. Throughout this enchanting album ambient soundscapes and orchestral pop arrangements jostle for position with layers of feedback drenched guitars, pummelling drums and a truly massive bass sound as we hear some of the heaviest material that the band have ever recorded. The films that accompany each track are a mesmerising collection of moving photographs. The rippling water in Marblehead delicately draws us into the melody while Two Bridges takes us onto a Manhattan street corner and exudes New York City in the summertime. The feeling of a road trip is present throughout as we see the rivers and lakes of the Mid–West and the deserts of the South–West before the album ends in a beautifully fitting way with the sun setting over the Santa Monica mountains. To celebrate the release, The Wedding Present will perform the album in its entirety with projections of the accompanying films at five specially selected venues across the UK. All the venues will be seated in order to enhance the audience’s enjoyment of this unique series of very intimate concerts.
Review
By Kenneth Partridge, Sep 2, 2016 12:00 AM / Score: B
√ It’s easy to take for granted the kinds of blurty, careening indie tunes David Gedge has been spewing for the last three decades. As leader of The Wedding Present, he’s rolled brittle C86 pop into meatier alt–rock, turning his band from sloppy Smiths to British cousins of Archers Of Loaf to some kind of dependable hybrid of those two things. The group’s 10th studio album is a coast–to–coast U.S. travelogue comprising 20 tracks, each with its own video. That’s the idea behind this PledgeMusic–funded project, but really, the concept is the same as it’s always been: reasonably clever bloke with electric guitar tries to make sense of love.
√ Take away the first four instrumental tracks — mood pieces that use strings, piano, and pensive electric guitars to set a somber New England scene — and Going, Going… is a fairly typical Weddoes LP. On song five, “Two Bridges,” the foursome punches in with a big, woolly rocker featuring a quintessentially Gedgian line: “I did love you, and maybe I still do, but there’s no way of knowing.” He spends the next 15 tracks (and 3,000 miles) challenging that assertion.
√ Quieter moments, like the rangy jangler “Little Silver” and twinkling first half of “Emporia,” highlight Gedge’s overlooked delicacy as a singer. With its honeyed backing vocals from bassist Katharine Wallinger and pockets of heavy distortion, “Bear” is a twee take on “blue album” Weezer. “Secretary” sees the return of the rubber–wristed strumming and befuddled humor heard on the band’s 1987 debut, George Best. If Gedge has trouble reaching his lady on that one, he does a better job of connecting on “Kill Devil Hills,” an organ–fueled punk tear through North Carolina.
√ On “Fordland,” one of several songs with strings reminiscent of Gedge’s Cinerama side project, the narrator laments, “Now I don’t know where this is gonna end.” The journey naturally concludes in California — the Pixies–style quiet–loud switcheroo “Santa Monica” finds Gedge basking in the warmth of his lover’s smile, letting the music slide into a slowed–down indie–band approximation of The Beatles’ “A Day In The Life” crescendo. Gedge could’ve reached this happy ending with fewer tracks and less gas money, but as anyone signing up for this road trip knows, his rambling never really gets old. ≡♦≡ http://www.avclub.com/
Also:
By Matt Tomiak / 05 AUGUST 2016, 10:45 BST / Score: 8
√ http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/the-wedding-present-going-going
Label: http://www.scopitones.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWeddingPresentOfficial/
Studio Albums:
√ George Best (Reception 1987)
√ Bizarro (RCA 1989)
√ Seamonsters (RCA 1991)
√ Watusi (Island 1994)
√ Saturnalia (Cooking Vinyl 1996)
√ Take Fountain (Scopitones 2005)
√ El Rey (Vibrant 2008)
√ Valentina (Scopitones 2012)
√ Going Going (2 September 2016)
BBC Radio Session Compilations:
→ John Peel Sessions 1987–1990 (Strange Fruit 1993)
→ Evening Sessions 1986–1994 (Strange Fruit 1996)
→ John Peel Sessions 1992–1995 (Cooking Vinyl 1998)
→ Ukrainski Vistupi V Johna Peela: Ukrainian John Peel Sessions (RCA 1989)
→ The Complete Peel Sessions (Castle Music 2007)
Live Albums:
→ Live 1987 (Scopitones 2007)
→ Shepherd’s Bush Welcomes The Wedding Present (Secret Records 2007)
→ Live 1988 (Scopitones 2010)
→ Live 1989 (Scopitones 2010)
→ Bizarro : Live in Tokyo, 2010 (And Records [Japan] 2011)
→ Live 1990 (Scopitones 2012)
→ Live 1991 (Scopitones 2012)
→ Live 1992 (Scopitones 2013)
→________________________________________________________→
| The Wedding Present — Going Going (2 September 2016) |
≡♦≡ 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! — John Peel
Location: Leeds, England, United Kingdom
Album release: 2 September 2016
Record Label: Scopitones
Genre: Post~Punk, Indie Rock
Duration: 77:50
Tracks:
01. Kittery 5:33
02. Greenland 3:02
03. Marblehead 3:50
04. Sprague 2:43
05. Two Bridges 3:58
06. Little Silver 4:40
07. Bear 4:19
08. Secretary 2:01
09. Birdsnest 3:35
10. Kill Devil Hills 2:26
11. Bells 3:34
12. Fifty–Six 4:41
13. Fordland 2:50
14. Emporia 4:29
15. Broken Bow 2:39
16. Lead 2:50
17. Ten Sleep 2:12
18. Wales 4:28
19. Rachel 3:44
20. Santa Monica 10:16
Members:
≡♦≡ David Gedge vocals, guitar (1985–1997, 2004–present)
≡♦≡ Charles Layton drums (2005, 2009–present)
≡♦≡ Katharine Wallinger bass (2013–present)
≡♦≡ Samuel Beer–Pearce guitar (2013–present)
√ Going, Going... is the title of the widely anticipated ninth studio album from UK indie darlings, The Wedding Present, but, in typical Wedding Present fashion... it’s not a conventional release! the album tells the story of a road trip across the USA, revealed across a collection of twenty linked songs, each with an accompanying short film. Always challenging and experimental, the idea to release the new project in a multi–media format is something that has been marinating with bandleader David Gedge for some time. As he points out, work began soon after the unveiling of The Wedding Present’s 2012 critically acclaimed album Valentina . ‘I’d already decided by then that I didn’t want to make the next release just another album and so I came up with the idea of twenty interconnected pieces of music. Then, in the summer of 2014 I travelled across the USA with photographer Jessica McMillan and we made some atmospheric short films to accompany the tracks. Since then it’s been a case of progressing through the music, trying all sorts of ideas, seeing how they work set against the visuals.’ Recorded at Studios La Fabrique in the south of France and Parr Street Studios in Liverpool with multiple Grammy award winning producer Andrew Scheps (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Sabbath, Adele) the resulting twenty tracks represent arguably The Wedding Present’s finest work to date, with Gedge, as always, showing himself to be the unrivalled master at observing human relationships from an everyman perspective but with the touch and artistry of a poet. Uncharacteristically, the album opens with four hauntingly beautiful instrumental songs, including the cinematic Sprague and the absolutely captivating Marblehead . Going, Going... then takes a headlong dash through tracks such as Two Bridges, Birdsnest, Kill Devil Hills and Broken Bow ... all perfectly executed in classic Wedding Present fashion; a jangle of clanging guitars, a squeal of feedback and a rush of adrenaline. Few come as close to articulating the trials and pitfalls of a relationship in ways so instantly recognisable to the listener as David Gedge; his lyrics’ naturalism and truthfulness accentuated by his earthy accent. With Little Silver, Bear, Lead and Rachel he proves yet again that he is a virtuoso when it comes to the bittersweet love song; his knack for a simple turn of phrase perfectly articulating the banalities and ecstasies of a relationship. Whilst they are the undoubted masters of frenetic indie–pop, The Wedding Present re–route momentarily on Emporia and Wales before ultimately immersing us in an epic album finale with Santa Monica. Throughout this enchanting album ambient soundscapes and orchestral pop arrangements jostle for position with layers of feedback drenched guitars, pummelling drums and a truly massive bass sound as we hear some of the heaviest material that the band have ever recorded. The films that accompany each track are a mesmerising collection of moving photographs. The rippling water in Marblehead delicately draws us into the melody while Two Bridges takes us onto a Manhattan street corner and exudes New York City in the summertime. The feeling of a road trip is present throughout as we see the rivers and lakes of the Mid–West and the deserts of the South–West before the album ends in a beautifully fitting way with the sun setting over the Santa Monica mountains. To celebrate the release, The Wedding Present will perform the album in its entirety with projections of the accompanying films at five specially selected venues across the UK. All the venues will be seated in order to enhance the audience’s enjoyment of this unique series of very intimate concerts.
Review
By Kenneth Partridge, Sep 2, 2016 12:00 AM / Score: B
√ It’s easy to take for granted the kinds of blurty, careening indie tunes David Gedge has been spewing for the last three decades. As leader of The Wedding Present, he’s rolled brittle C86 pop into meatier alt–rock, turning his band from sloppy Smiths to British cousins of Archers Of Loaf to some kind of dependable hybrid of those two things. The group’s 10th studio album is a coast–to–coast U.S. travelogue comprising 20 tracks, each with its own video. That’s the idea behind this PledgeMusic–funded project, but really, the concept is the same as it’s always been: reasonably clever bloke with electric guitar tries to make sense of love.
√ Take away the first four instrumental tracks — mood pieces that use strings, piano, and pensive electric guitars to set a somber New England scene — and Going, Going… is a fairly typical Weddoes LP. On song five, “Two Bridges,” the foursome punches in with a big, woolly rocker featuring a quintessentially Gedgian line: “I did love you, and maybe I still do, but there’s no way of knowing.” He spends the next 15 tracks (and 3,000 miles) challenging that assertion.
√ Quieter moments, like the rangy jangler “Little Silver” and twinkling first half of “Emporia,” highlight Gedge’s overlooked delicacy as a singer. With its honeyed backing vocals from bassist Katharine Wallinger and pockets of heavy distortion, “Bear” is a twee take on “blue album” Weezer. “Secretary” sees the return of the rubber–wristed strumming and befuddled humor heard on the band’s 1987 debut, George Best. If Gedge has trouble reaching his lady on that one, he does a better job of connecting on “Kill Devil Hills,” an organ–fueled punk tear through North Carolina.
√ On “Fordland,” one of several songs with strings reminiscent of Gedge’s Cinerama side project, the narrator laments, “Now I don’t know where this is gonna end.” The journey naturally concludes in California — the Pixies–style quiet–loud switcheroo “Santa Monica” finds Gedge basking in the warmth of his lover’s smile, letting the music slide into a slowed–down indie–band approximation of The Beatles’ “A Day In The Life” crescendo. Gedge could’ve reached this happy ending with fewer tracks and less gas money, but as anyone signing up for this road trip knows, his rambling never really gets old. ≡♦≡ http://www.avclub.com/
Also:
By Matt Tomiak / 05 AUGUST 2016, 10:45 BST / Score: 8
√ http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/the-wedding-present-going-going
Label: http://www.scopitones.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWeddingPresentOfficial/
Studio Albums:
√ George Best (Reception 1987)
√ Bizarro (RCA 1989)
√ Seamonsters (RCA 1991)
√ Watusi (Island 1994)
√ Saturnalia (Cooking Vinyl 1996)
√ Take Fountain (Scopitones 2005)
√ El Rey (Vibrant 2008)
√ Valentina (Scopitones 2012)
√ Going Going (2 September 2016)
BBC Radio Session Compilations:
→ John Peel Sessions 1987–1990 (Strange Fruit 1993)
→ Evening Sessions 1986–1994 (Strange Fruit 1996)
→ John Peel Sessions 1992–1995 (Cooking Vinyl 1998)
→ Ukrainski Vistupi V Johna Peela: Ukrainian John Peel Sessions (RCA 1989)
→ The Complete Peel Sessions (Castle Music 2007)
Live Albums:
→ Live 1987 (Scopitones 2007)
→ Shepherd’s Bush Welcomes The Wedding Present (Secret Records 2007)
→ Live 1988 (Scopitones 2010)
→ Live 1989 (Scopitones 2010)
→ Bizarro : Live in Tokyo, 2010 (And Records [Japan] 2011)
→ Live 1990 (Scopitones 2012)
→ Live 1991 (Scopitones 2012)
→ Live 1992 (Scopitones 2013)
→________________________________________________________→