Product Description

First new studio album in seven years for Green Gartside's Scritti Politti. Recorded at his home studio it brings back the bare sound of the band and Green's legendary vocals.

Track Listing

1. The Boom Boom Bap
2. No Fine Lines
3. Snow In Sun
4. Cooking
5. Throw
6. Dr Abernathy
7. After Six
8. Petrococadollar
9. E Eleventh Nuts
10. Window Wide Open
11. Road To No Regret
12. Locked
13. Mrs Hughes
14. Robin Hood

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33798 in Music
• Released on: 2006-05-29
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

A quiet gem
I must admit to be increasingly astonished by Green's output over the years. In my opinion 'Bonhomie & Anhomie' was a creative peak, with it's jaw-dropping collision of popular genres. I just can't get enough of his subversion of the popular song! I'm always happy to educated by new music and 'White Bread Black Beer' continues to reveal its surprises. It's a lot more 'pared down', almost naive, sonically, but, for me, Green's continued emphasis on high production values (even when things sound 'homegrown' or 'preset') only enhance this simplicity into a dazzling virtue. 'The Boom Boom Bap' gently opens the album in a quiet but infectiously skewed fashion and the slection of , often relatively brief, explorations into rhythm and poetry unfold with a quiet grace. 'Pepsicocadollar', in particular, demonstrates Gartside's amazing talent for subtle, yet hypnotising, arrangement. Like his best work, it hovers with a delicate intensity reminicent of the Cocteau Twins swathes of unashamed beauty. Nods are constantly made to Brian Wilson's vast harmonies, yet the lyrics also allow scope for multiple interpretation and insight. My only disappointment, if it can be called such, is that the in the dying moments of several tracks Gartside introduces a number of highly potent and infectious grooves which only leave me panting for more. Loved the artwork for 'B&A' too and wasn't so sure about this one til I took a good look beyond the 'Stussy/Evisu stylings' and noticed the pale outlines of Green's life in his East London home behind the lyrics. Quite a precious little gem really. Hope this album helps him keep his house!

a heartbreaking work of staggering genius
can't remember the last time I bought an album, played it all the way through and THEN played it again...this is utterly beautiful and utterly personal- a few tracks in, I felt like I'd inadvertently stumbled across someone's diary; a few more, like someone had removed their skin in my kitchen..
don't let that put you off!The best album I've heard this year, without a shadow of a doubt.

Great Album, Green returns- at last!!
I've been a big fan of the Green for many a year now, and have aways been fascinated by the path his musical career has taken him and his band/musical vechicle Scritti Politti.

From being blown away in 1985 with Cupid and Psyche ( I missed 'Songs' first time around) to the new offering 'White Bread Black Beer'-Rough Trade.

The new album sees Green locked away recording in his own Flat and stripping the sound back to a basic but very tuneful level,
Greens' vocal talent is so strong and harmonic that songs like 'Snow in Sun' which is Brian Wilson influenced and 'The Boom Boom Bap'- explaining his love affair with all that is hip-hop- are in essence fairly sraight forward musical arrangements culminating in a myriad of texture and enjoyment brought out by Gartsides'singing. The songs are a total throwback to the complex arrangements which worked so painstakingly well for him in the past.

It is always a difficult to create a good song by focusing on what is left out rather than what is left in and he has succeeded on very many levels.

He is clearly comfortable with this style of recording which shows in other stand out tracks like 'Dr Abernathy'- a stomp rock tune and 'No Fine Lines' which could have been a offering from the last 35 years.

He has been so at ease with his new material that as many people know he has played live recently and good on him.

Fans will love, others- who knows...?

You never know with Green if this will be the last album, if it is ( and I sincerely hope it isn't) he has signed off in style, gone back to his old label and chilled.

On a footnote- the album packaging and design is excellent and original as always.