This is one of the tracks from "Elegies to Lessons Learnt", October's excitedly anticipated debut album from the Beggars Banquet label. THE DECPEPTiON is a powerful distillation of the sound, style and tragic themes that iLiKETRAiNS have been crushing from steel, flesh and landscapes over a painstakingly monomaniac three and a half years. The internal vastness of human despair, self delusion and self destruction are evoked with a thunder of guitars and apocalyptic drumming and told with the visceral closeness of Dave Martin's seductive baritone. You don’t have to have read the press reports of Donald Crowhurst's 1968 story to get this. The grandiose plans, the elaborate deceit and the ignominious realisation of humiliating nemesis are all present in the sombre tune and the pleading lyric of lost humanity. As a single the song crashes in like an Atlantic breaker on a southern landfall and roars like a gale for the next four minutes. iLiKETRAiNS' usual slow build-up is saved for the accompanying track VICTRESS.
An elegant pair to THE DECEPTiON, the tale here is the other half of the tragedy. There always seem to be another side. Nigel Tetley had been deceived into thinking his boat (The Victress of the title) was being pressed for second place by Crowhurst in that wretched solo round-the-world race. He pushed his breaking vessel too hard through heavy seas. It broke up and, eventually, unsupported in his efforts to rebuild, so did he. Tetley hanged himself in woods near Dover. Crowhurst, even in death is seared by the echo of recrimination from another lost soul. Another fine tune. These are very contemporary folk songs of noble pedigree.
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Those who protect their beautiful vinyl by buying the CD version as well, are rewarded with four minutes 40 seconds of JOSHUA, a tingling guitar tune that steps gracefully through the redemptive waves left by the storms of the main songs. There is a thrilling surge of EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY proportions here. It's a very welcome bonus.
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