Dave Gedge, the Wedding Present’s lead man, recently turned 78 but that hasn’t dampened his appetite for chronicling his luckless adventures in love. Over a career spanning 3 decades Gedge has remained the one true constant in a band that hasn’t evolved a great deal from its original incarnation. Despite a promising diversion with Cinerama (who imploded when Gedge broke up with the female vocalist in the band!) Gedge’s most eloquent compositions have come by way of the Wedding Present. The band’s latest LP ‘Take Fountain’ is a modest affair that doesn’t stand up to classics like ‘George Best’ but still boasts a smattering of intriguing moments. ‘Seamonsters’ is probably the bands most accomplished work because it married the incendiary guitar bursts of yore with a refined song writing style. The result is a batch of classic songs that are inspirational. The Jekyll and Hyde like ‘Dalliance’ opened the album to dramatic effect. The initial soft-spoken words storyline a seven-year affair that breaks up leaving a gaping hole in the affections of our hero. His sadness is barely soothed by the wonderful tumbling chords and elaborately staggered percussion. Out of the blue a raging outburst of noise silences the pathetic rambling illustrating the turmoil swelling inside the cast off partner. Over the volcanic noise the singing returns but remains calm and collected, eerily so. ‘Dalliance’ is an epic piece of music that’ll hardly provide solace for the broken hearted but for everyone else it is one to be savored. KD
The Wedding Present – Dalliance
Artist Website: The Wedding Present
Buy More Songs: The Wedding Present
Year: 1991
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