Spacehog
The Chinese Album
Sire
Waiting for the other shoe to drop… Anticipating the sophomore jinx these days seems de rigeur for music industry watchers these days. After all, most buzz bands seem to lose their buzz quicker than a wino on bathtub gin. Forget all that. Spacehog has made another great album. The Chinese Album isn’t any more cohesive or innovative than Resident Alien, but that’s part of what makes me like ‘em so much. The first single “Mungo City” could be E.L.O.; “Lucy’s Shoes” is another paean to Hog hero David Bowie; and “Skylark” has me reminiscing about another cultural pastiche gone by: H.R. Puffnstuff. Overtly obvious or endearingly honest? The latter I dare say! The zealous yet tongue-in-cheek way that these transplanted Brits pay homage to their new home on “2nd Avenue (Isle of Manhattan)” is belied by the genuinely touching final track, wherein only Spacehog can sing about “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World” without getting stuck in sentimental gooey slop. Buy this freakin’ album.
