Bedtime stories for the lonely

Press, 19 May 1989, Page 23

Bedtime stories for the lonely

VIOLENT FEMMES “3” (Slash Records, LIB 5158). It is reassuring to hear an album like “3,” an album which suggests the disappointing “Blind Leading The Naked,” from 1986, was only a temporary lapse in the Violent Femmes’ scheme of things. “3” shows this band still have the essential qualities that made their debut of seven years back a classic and 1984’s “Hallowed Ground” a close contender for this title. “Fresh and Vibr: nt” is the way the press release sent out with this album sums up “3,” and for once a press release makes some sense. A real urgency and tension, almost a sense of aggression, dominates the music of the Femmes, a

sparse country-rocka-billy-based sound harbouring some nasty surprises. As in the best of their previous material, here we have a lyrical emphasis on things dark and nasty. Gordon Gano’s lyrics continue to present him as some sort of confused neurotic sociopath who cannot comprehend why no-one likes him — especially the women he loves to hate. At times Gano wallows in self-despair and despondency, as on the bleak “Nothing Worth Living For” or “See My Ships,” and the album’s lyrical content almost resembles a continuous reworking of that twisted country classic, “Psycho.” Surprisingly enough, “3” is not totally negative, the Femmes realise the need for compromise

or relief. As violent and negative as the apparent self-confessions may be, the music almost feeds off and reacts against Gano’s bitterness and anger for its upbeat energetic style. On this album the band have stripped back to the essentials of tight basic percussion, guitar and bass (mostly acoustic) and attempted to catch a "live,” “unproduced” improvisational sound, a move which has given very refreshing results, the three-piece working together in an economical, disciplined way to give us 12 short, direct songs. Considering the current overwhelming tendency towards overproduction or fiddly, indulgent arrangements in most music it is pleasantly ironic that some of the best music of the

recent past is that which stays with a basic, almost classical, rock-based format — witness recent releases by Lou Reed, Sneaky Feelings, the Cowboy Junkies and this particular album. Perhaps the band sound a little tired in places and repeat themselves in other, yet these are only minor lapses. “3” isn’t the best album from " the Violent Femmes — that has to be their first album — but this particular release is valid enough in its own right to be recommended. Most of the time the album is fun in the most tastefully malicious way, as the Femmes show the best ways to provide bedtime tales for the lonely and songs for bitter lovers.* * * * —PAUL COLLETT

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