Longpigs

The Sun is Often Out (Island)
by Katy Shea

After a huge messy record company fiasco in the UK with Elektra, the Longpigs have finally gotten their record released, this time on U2’s label, Mother. Lest anyone lump this band together with other recent English hits like Suede or Oasis, I will state outright that they are in a category all by themselves. Crispen Hunt heads up the Sheffield, England band, and just for the record, Crispen is The Man. The intensity of his vocals and the sincerity and emotion of his lyrics together with the raw talent of his voice (complete with angelic falsetto) are enough to make the Longpigs a great band, but they also write the most powerful pop songs I’ve ever heard.

The opening song, “Lost Myself,” establishes Mr. Hunt as one of the most expressive and intriguing performers of his generation. Although they are still Brit-pop, the band is able to go beyond what the genre expects of them to deliver dynamic, luminous music that miraculously escapes the melodrama that bands like Suede get muddled within and goes straight for the gut. “She Said” is my favorite on the CD, a rousing anthemic tune that Hunt growls out, inspiring even the faintest of heart into a state of complete empathy and emotional camaraderie.

The album displays versatility as well, especially on “Far,” a more traditional Brit-pop love song, complete with Beatles chord progressions and acoustic guitar, and on the ballad “On and On,” where the power comes from a more quiet, but ever-present, intensity.

This album demands that you keep it on your CD player for days, weeks at a time. The entrancing energy that permeates every track seems to all but guarantee that the live show is completely mind-blowing. I missed the Longpigs when they were at the Paradise in May, but I assure you that will never happen again.