316) Sneaker Pimps - Becoming X

It’s 1996, things are not going well, we have mentioned divorce and stuff before but even then, I still had music to make me feel better and there would be the odd night out here and there where several pints of Tennents would be drunk.

On one such night there was a wonderful song played in a pub called Spin Spin Sugar, I didn’t know it was called that and as I asked the DJ who it was, I got a look and a mumble of Sneaker Pimps from him.

Monday I was in the record shops and there was a whole album called Becoming X, but I wasn’t really a beats kind of guy so couldn’t risk the big bucks on a record I may not have liked.

Back then I would call in the same second-hand record shop before I got the train home that I had been in at lunchtime as they had a Just In section and there was Becoming X for about five pounds, why not indeed. (Missing Records – mentioned in the Vegas review but if you come to Glasgow, it’s an essential place to visit).

Now I liked Massive Attack, Morcheeba and Portishead, but we all know by now the music I like so I expected to like Spin Spin Sugar, but I knew it wasn’t indie pop, so I wasn’t expecting to be blown away.

Wrong again Steve!! I loved this album from the off and still do all these years later. A quick read and Chris Corner and Liam Howe formed the band, Corner was the vocalist on the demos, but a decision was made that the songs suited a female singer, and Kellie Alie was drafted in. This worked a treat but unfortunately Alie only lasted this one album and Corner resumed lead vocals and sales wise from there it was diminishing returns for the band.

The whole record is built on atmosphere, trip hop beats and raw ragged guitars but it’s Alie’s vocal a mixture of detachment, not giving a toss but also a swagger from her to carry the whole thing off.

The whole album deserves to be heard from the opening jaggedness of Low Place Like Home to the acoustic blissed out ending of How Do with relaxed joy on 6 Underground an almost demo like rough basic quality to Tesko Suicide and who doesn’t want to hear a songs with titles like Post-Modern Sleaze and Wasted Early Sunday Morning.

Dive in and enjoy.

9/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Low Place Like Home