Senseless Things
The First of Too Many (Epic) (STAR) 1/2
A fashionable genre of British rock lumps an unctuous, angry assortment of blokes who like their fretwork in an ax-grinding way. Senseless Things join soul mates Ned`s Atomic Dustbin and the Manic Street Preachers in symbolizing the grating, pursed-lipped yapping of this wave, which claims to meld `60s guitar rock and early `80s punk. Well, Senseless Things come off more like the Monkees with a bad attitude. Mark Keds` nasal vocals cut through the record`s snappiest songs (”It`s Cool to Hang Out With Your Ex” and the slow
”Different Tongues”) with forced urgency. Keds` lyrics pick bones with society in a manner befitting the best of the on-the-dole English groups. He reserves his sharpest attack on the media commerciality, notably in ”Radio Spiteful.” But with the quartet`s chord changes as predictable as an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, there`s little on the instrumental end. Self-important sniveling and merely adequate musicianship won`t do-and ”The First of Too Many” might be just that.
Ratings:
Excellent (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Good (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Fair (STAR)(STAR)
Poor (STAR)