This was a peer group pressure purchase. Well not really, although it did come highly recommended form those nice people at Missing Link. The reviews I’d read of this were not particularly positive. I think many of us are sick of the past being rehashed ad infintim. For instance has anyone else noticed the prevelance of all of these awful floppy haired bands ripping off Orange Juice and The Fire Engines (I’m looking at you Vampire Weekend). The things that really shits me about these rehashes is that their interpretations of amazing bands are generic and bland. They bring nothing new to the party. Look at the Von Bondies. One great pop song and albums full of shit. Even Clockcleaner and Pissed Jeans don’t exactly light up my life. Sure those records are pretty good but are they the most exciting thing that happened last year? Fuck no. If I want to listen to Jesus Lizard or Black Flag then I’ll play Down or Wasted Again not some interpretation of those records.
Based on that rant I shouldn’t like Blood Visions. Other writers have invoked the names of The Wipers, The Adverts, Wire, Gary Numan, Devo and sure, there is no doubt that Mr Reatard races back to the early 1980’s and plunders the best of new wave. I really don’t care. Blood Visions is a very clever hook filled, punky, poppy little gem. The production is non-existent. This album was recorded not produced and that, my friends, is part of the charm. It’s like the the best garage-new-wave-punk-pop record ever made. There is nothing on this record you haven’t heard before, but the songs on Bloodvisions are so great that I can’t be arsed to play a game of spot-the-influence. In fact the fourth track, My Shadow, is the best pop song since Kelly Clarkson’s Since U Been Gone.
Some records should never be over analysed because doing so destroys just how vital and fun pop music can be and that, in my opinion, would be a terrible shame. Blood Visions gets revisionism right. It’s one of the only records in recent times that does and for that reason alone you should buy this.
Ducks Battle Satan 