Black Box Recorder - "The Facts Of Life" CD Album

Black Box Recorder – The Facts Of Life

CD, Album, UK, 2000

Nude Records

The promise, in other words their masterpiece. All the stars are lined up correctly for Black Box Recorder's The Facts Of Life, because here the melodies match the biting lyrics with the perfect presentation. Some years back I played this album to a friend, and they thought 'so contrived.' Which is true, but in this case, it is a strength than a hinderance. “French Rock n' Roll” and “The Facts Of Life” are both perfect pop songs, and funny.

What they do on record sounds simple and un-cluttered but is actually quite sophisticated due to the arrangements and how they work up Sarah's deadened vocals with even a more laid-back but perfectly pitched back-up vocals from John and Luke. They can almost be folk music, but somehow turned into glam rock. A very laid back version of glam of course. A tongue-in-cheek classic introduction to the 21^st Century, before we knew it would turn to shit. Luke Haines would admire that. I think only artists can convey the horror that is the new century.