143) That Petrol Emotion End of the Millennium Psychosis Blues

Sixteen months on from the injustice that Babble had not made them the biggest band in the UK That Petrol Emotion were ready to go again, sort of.

Although Babble had not sold millions it had charted well, and the band were clearly on the up. They had recently signed to Virgin but as they prepared to record this album John O’Neill announced he was leaving the band but would stay for this record. That they managed to release such a record of high quality under, what must have been, a strained atmosphere only shows the talent of this band.

Every member of the band contributes songs and guitarist Raymond Gorman, and drummer Ciaran McLaughlin were now excelling, true underappreciated talents to this day with their ongoing work with Everlasting Yeah, that’s the confidence I have in the forthcoming second album.

The record is diverse, and that may have worked against it at the time, but with addition of accordion, trumpet, saxophone, and trombone this was a band expanding their horizons and their musical pallet.

The album is bookended by two exquisite tracks Sooner or Later is what they were known for indie guitars, throbbing drums and Steve Mack commanding and they end on Under the Sky a heavy bombast of a number.

Cellophane was John O’Neill’s leaving present a song about the troubles in his homeland, it’s a beautiful song, not a lead single but a special song.

The band were also embracing dance and rhythms, listen to Groove Check (magical guitar halfway through), Here It Is….Take It and Tension. The band were ahead of the game much lesser bands had success a few years later in the Britpop era who were nowhere near this level.

Candy Love Satellite is frantic and fun, and The Price of My Soul has depth and Tired Shattered Man lets us breathe.

The standalone single Genius Move would have made this record even better but who am I to quibble.

In my opinion the best was still to come.

8.75/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Groove Check