Maybe it’s just because I grew up in the US instead of the UK, but I really had no idea about The Beautiful South. I mean, I had heard a few songs by them that I really liked but nothing else. So I went looking for some more only to discover that they’re apparently a pretty big deal over on the other side of the pond, with a few #1 records and a catalogue stretching back almost 20 years.
They formed out of the remains of The Housemartins (another band I am woefully ignorant of, especially given my love for Smiths-esque indie pop) and continued making bright and bubbly guitar-driven songs with dark undertones. Their forte is the ironic love song, which can take on many forms. I still haven’t had the time or opportunity to fully explore their many many records, but here are a few of my favorites so far:
One of the things I love most about them is their talent in contrasts. This song demonstrates that perfectly. The tune is all sunshine and fluffy bunnies while the female vocals are sweet as honey – and if you aren’t paying close attention to the lyrics, you’ll be sure to suffer serious whiplash when the chorus hits you with “don’t marry her, fuck me.” If there’s a prettier call to one-night stands over true love out there, I’d like to hear it.
This is the first one I heard by them and still my favorite. It’s part of that classic genre: the love song about love songs, but it may very well be the best of them. They ridicule the whole process: the overwrought lyrics and the pretense that a song can represent basic and complex emotions. But like most good parody, it works because it betrays a true love for the genre even as it pokes fun. Tongue is in cheek, but it is a self-aware and tender mockery. And a great folk-country influenced pop song as well.
This one is a single from their newest album Superbi, released earlier this year. Country is no longer just an influence – this is a full-blown country romp, guaranteed to get your toe tapping. Once again demonstrating they have a fine sense for the line between homage and satire, they tell the tale of a dysfunctional family to end them all, a little too crazy to generate much pathos, but a little honest to be purely satire. And when she leaves town and never looks back, you’ll cheer her on.
As for Superbi, it’s gotten basically zero blog coverage, which is a little surprising. It’s not one of the year’s very best records or anything, but it’s pretty good, and a lot of fun. For other tracks, check out “Manchester” and “When Romance is Dead.”