- Genre: 'Indie'
- Release Date: '25th October 2024'
Our Rating:
No-one – and I mean no-one – would have predicted, back in 1988 / 89, when Transvision Vamp crashed the charts with ‘I Want Your Love’ and ‘Baby I Don’t Care’ that Wendy James would still be going over 35 years later. It wasn’t just the tacky makeup and outfits: everything about the band – and James in particular – screamed trashy, disposable, the epitome of that late 80s explosion in cheap plastic consumerism.
“I grew up, musically, in the age of the sequencer,” reflects Wendy. “There was Transvision Vamp and there was Sigue Sigue Sputnik and we were both drawn into the future by Ridley Scott’s movie ‘Bladerunner’.
It makes more sense perhaps in hindsight. At the time, Sigue Sigue Sputnik were ridiculed for not only lacking in substance, but being overtly shit, and Andrew Eldritch was widely mocked when he recruited Tony James to The Sisters of Mercy in 1990. Postmodernism revelled in the stupid, the senseless, the cheap, the disposable, the pointless. But at least it was self aware, and knew it was all about stupidity, cheapness, etc., etc. Funny the things you end up growing nostalgic for, eh?
‘The Shape of History’ is James’ 10th solo album. If you’ve not been keeping up with her career – and I’ll admit that I haven’t – it’s remarkably… nice. Not just because it’s got lots of songs about love and pianos on it, but because it blends pop and jazz and indie and has loads of layered pop vocal melodies, part shoegaze, part 60s pop, with hints of Stereolab. The vocals are bubblegum, but also chewing gum. There’s attitude, but it’s very much tempered by a more mature hesitancy.
‘The Crack and The Boom of the Creeps and the Goons’ is one of the few songs that offers some punky thrust, and it’s a clear standout, not least of all by virtue of its harder edge but also because it finds James bringing the bratty sass which is largely absent from the acoustic and piano-led songs about heartbreak. ‘Do You Dig It Do You Love It Is It Groovy’ is the obvious counterpart, with it’s gritty, driving guitars, and it packs some energy, and some Hammond action and a bold guitar solo.
For the all layering and production, the songs are simple, charming, and feel open and honest in every way. The focus is more low-key and relatable, and so not rock ‘n’ roll. ‘The Shape of History’ is a nice slice if introspective indie. It’s tinged with a hint of sadness that’s hard to define. It feels like a step-down, hearing a once major league artist singing tweeley about being side-swiped, but it’s a feat that she’s still making music rather than working a supermarket checkout, and ‘The Shape of History’ is an album that’s consistent and quality.
