Love - Aztec Camera

I got so much stick from my mates for liking Aztec Camera and in particular this album. At the time I couldn't understand why as I thought that it was a well written, stylish guitar pop album with a super clean and slick production. What were people getting so upset about?

Listening to it again today, nearly twenty years on, I can sort of see why I got so much ribbing. It is a very slick and very clean album, almost to the point of being saccharine. Very nice songs, played very nicely and nicely produced. There is not a single rough edge and it all sounds so calculated. Compare this album to other acclaimed albums of the time, say by The Smiths and The Cure, and I can see how jarring this must've been. It was not alternative, innovative or remotely 'interesting'. It was an album made with a sole purpose - to break into the american market. Unfortunately sacrificing originality for american radio friendly, easy listening pop music. The experiment didn't work and the album, taken out of context, remains a bit of an oddity in Aztec Camera's discography; a super glossy album with very american production.

...but having said all that, I still quite like it. Maybe I have a soft spot for this album despite it giving me so much grief. Maybe I like the nostalgic glow it gives off or just maybe there are some songs on there that are worth a listen. Oops - there I go again defending it. It's a habit that's hard to break!