All part of decency's jigsaw I suppose…

XTC seems to epitomize quirky and intelligent pop music. The melodies are catchy but very unusual in their sound and structure. This band has been a part of my music collection for about 7 years now. I had heard a handful of their songs on the TV show, Gilmore Girls, but didn’t realize who they were. The first album I ever heard was their 1986 classic, Skylarking.

 

Skylarking is a fantastic album – from start to finish. It’s full of interesting and complex arrangements with lush instrumentation. The way the tracks merge into each other make it an album you have to listen to in sequence. While each track is amazing in its own right, it’s even more incredible to listen to it the way it was meant to be heard. My favorite part is the way “Ballet for a Rainy Day” merges into “1000 Umbrellas”. And I adore the use of strings. It’s not an entire philharmonic orchestra, so it doesn’t overpower the track, but it sure gives it character. “Season Cycle” is an upbeat pop song with some clever lyrics and unique rhymes (rhyming “cycle” with “umbilical” is not something you run across every day!). “That’s Really Super, Supergirl” is a really fun song with a very quirky melody. And “Earn Enough For Us” is the first song of theirs I ever heard and I love the lyrics – they hold a certain fear-tinged optimism that I find endearing. Besides the guitar riff intro is pretty fantastic. Then there is perhaps their most well-known song, “Dear God”. It’s really an interesting concept for a song – or even a piece of writing – to write a letter to God explaining why he doesn’t believe in him. There’s a really great use of strings in this song as well.

 

Of course, after getting into this album, I had to check out their other music. Luckily, I had a lot of music to check out because they have 14 albums… I found that Andy Partridge writes some of the most bizarre melodies, but they are damn catchy. And the lyrics are clever and cynical. The early XTC albums sound a little different from their later stuff, having more punk and new wave elements in them, but the songs are every bit as catchy. “This Is Pop?” from White Music may be my favorite of their early recordings. You wouldn’t think that a song with so many dissonant chords would be so catchy, but it’s completely addictive. “Ugly Underneath” from Nonsuch is another favorite of mine – I love the contrast of the harsh rock-y verses with the beautiful melodic chorus. It’s got a pretty awesome bass line too. And I love the lyrics. “Great Fire” off Mummer and “Snowman” from English Settlement are more examples of the catchy, quirky melodies that seem to be Andy Partridge’s trademark… And I really love the song, “Respectable Street” from Black Sea. It’s really an interesting way to begin an album – starting off as an old phonograph record and a gentle delivery of the melody by Andy Partridge then it quickly switches gears with the slam of jangly guitar chords. And I kind of dig the lyrics, observations of modern-day suburbia. I also must mention their last album, Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2).  That album is also fantastic – “The Man Who Murdered Love” is a great rocky pop song. It’s got a tremendously catchy chorus and very unique take on a love song of sorts. “You And The Clouds Will Still Be Beautiful” is currently my most played song by XTC – I love the rhythm of the guitar.

 

There is a perception that the band is essentially a studio creation of a group of gifted reclusive musicians who refuse to tour because they can't cut it as a live band. But if you catch any of their live recordings on youtube you’ll see that Andy Partridge is a riveting performer. Though, he suffers from stage fright, so catching a performance is pretty rare. While they may be an acquired taste, I enjoy all of their music and I find that each album is unique, surprising, and worthwhile.