Since remastering The Wedding Present's two landmark albums "Bizarro" and "Seamonsters", David Gedge has obviously come to terms with his past as "Torino" - his third outing with his post-Weddoes combo CINERAMA - is by some way their hardest-sounding album to date: very much a perfect synthesis of the Weddoes overdriven guitar angst and CINERAMA'S new-found sophistication.
Indeed, "Torino" is one of those fine records where you don't need to fanny around with analysis, just get on with enjoying the (surprisingly varied) fare on offer. Gedge has improved no end vocally since the Weddoes heyday; confidence now exuding from his voice rather than his previous forlorn, hangdog persona, and while "Torino"s characteristically obsessed with sex, it's all rather more mature than the awkward adolescent groping that typified the Weddoes and Dave wears the experience well.
Both of the album's trailer singles "Health And Efficiency" and the recent "Quick, Before It Melts" are featured and demonstrate that Dave hasn't lost his knack for striking 45s. "Health And Efficiency" is Gedge at his most sumptuous, with sweeping strings, patient guitar melodies and the dreamy nostalgia of love long lost. Affecting.
The punchy, one-night stand tale of "Quick, Before It Melts" is a whole different bulge in the trousers, though. Brisk and, er, to the point, it's quite probably the best slice of SONIC YOUTH-y pop concerning brewer's droop ever recorded.
Certainly, Gedge and co don't shy away from turning the amps up here when required, either. Songs like "Two Girls" and the descending chords of "Cat Girl Tights" pull precious few punches and benefit from Terry de Castro's growling, JJ Burnel-style basslines. Opener, "And When She Was Bad" is another fine set-piece, too. Dave begins with with a sleepy slur of reminiscence and soon gets accusatory, suggesting: "if he's only an old buddy, wht does he stare at your breasts?" Old infidelities die hard, it seems, but the picked acoustic 'n' violin of the verses contrasts beautifully with the full-on spite of the chorus.
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Happily, CINERAMA haven't dropped the strings, atmosphere and soundtrack-y touches, either. Indeed, tunes like "Estrella" (how to get caught screwing around in order to break up with your current beau - keep up at the back!) are breezy, imploring and exotic, with nods to evergreen 60s beat group pop; while the string-drenched "Airborne" - Dave gets teary-eyed about saying goodbye for one last time - and the evocative, but naughty S&M-inspied "Tie Me Up" rank among the pinnacles of Gedge's career to date. Hell, the vengeful "Get Smart" ("I heard exactly what you said...but I know he slept in our bed") has one (the only?) of the coolest flute solos in pop history. Yes, I am sincere about that.
Overall, this is a terrific album by anyone's standards: full of the elation, failure, joy and abject despair that (em)power's love's unpredictable rollercoaster. However, where once David Gedge often sounded one-dimensional and underachieving in his cult status, with CINERAMA his songwriting is becoming gloriously realised.
"Torino," then , is the sound of David Gedge in rude health, embracing a future that sounds convincingly rosy. If you'd written him off previously, I'd suggest you very seriously reconsider.
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