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Supergrass | Life On Other Planets

Every single song grabs you by the throat from the start.
CD, Parlophone

Tekst: Eelco van Kappen

Publicatiedatum: 26 september 2002

I'm going to jump in feet first and say that Life On Other Planets is Supergrass ' best album to date. High praise, indeed, given that Supergrass are responsible for some of the finest records of recent time. Their debut I Should Coco was filled with perfect summer pop; an album on which every song was a ray of sunshine. Their next effort, In It For The Money, was everything one could hope for in a sophomore effort. It wasn't just a rehash of the first record, but a genuinely mature set of songs, which,­ though lacking the instant accessibility of the former, grew stronger every time you played it. And with every listen, it gained character, and the songs showed such cohesion that it was difficult to see any of the songs separate from the others. The whole album proved to be more than the sum of its parts. Their most recent effort before the current one was simply titled Supergrass, and though it may not have been as charming as the first, or as accomplished as the second, it was still a fine album that put many other bands to shame.

Now, Life On Other Planets has arrived, and it is every bit as wonderful as its title makes it out to be. It combines the instant gratification of I Should Coco with the profound sense of cohesion of In It For The Money. Supergrass have made that rarity: a record where every single song grabs you by the throat from the start, and after you've played them all 20 times, they still get better.

One of the most interesting things about Life On Other Planets is that it combines an old-fashioned sensibility with an acute sense of the absurd. Consider, for instance, the opening lyrics of the album. On Za, singer Gaz Coombs croons "Face / Such a beautiful face / But time waits for no one / So why don't we get it on?" It is difficult to think of a more conservative rock 'n' roll sentiment, yet before the album is over, Supergrass have treated their audience to the sound of a sheep bleating, a song about witches, an Elvis impersonation, a whistled "guitar solo," a lyrical reference to Spinal Tap's All The Way Home, and the sound of some kind of instrument that I'm at a loss to place but which appears to be the recording of a wurlitzer played backwards. And the remarkable thing is that however eccentric things seem to get, there is always a sense of everything being in its right place. On some subconscious level, the sound of sheep bleating on Seen The Light is so natural that it's almost expected. It's like you're thinking "Hey, just about now would be the perfect moment for an Elvis impersonation." And — hey — presto.

Even more remarkable is the variety on the album. Supergrass effortlessly switch from the garage punk of Never Done Nothing Like That Before to the funky two-tone of Brecon Beacons. Most impressive, however, are the last two tracks. The serious tracks. How often is it that the serious track on an album turns out to be a pretentious, overblown drag or a seven-minute bore? Not here. Prophet 15 and Run sound like Pink Floyd, or 10cc, had they been cool. Majestic, dreamy melodies that are a perfect conclusion to one of the best albums of the year.

http://www.kindamuzik.net/recensie/supergrass/life-on-other-planets/1891/
Meer Supergrass op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/supergrass