What is worse than kids recreating their parents’ favourite records? Probably their parents recreating their own records. Section 25 tread a very fine line on Nature + Degree. The generational issue is also further weirded up by the fact that original (now deceased) vocalist, Jenny Cassidy, has been replaced by her daughter, Beth. I’m not totally convinced Section 25 haven’t stalled forever somewhere in 1985. There are a few moments of transcendence, but it’s hard to get past the feeling that the band is just taking advantage of the fact that their era has swung into fashion by offering up paint-by-numbers pastiches of their original work.
Things start reasonably with the instrumental ‘Pop Idol Pt 1′, a driving rhythm with occasional searing synth buzzes. The album’s highlight is undoubtedly ‘Attachment’, which is almost the 80s updated to Modular levels, complete with dirty bass line. Some polite synth washes keep the music small, though, something which no amount of reverb can mask. ‘Saddled With Something’ adds different musical textures in the way of live string quartet. On the whole, however, I spend most of the time listening to Nature + Degree and working out where I’ve heard that drum machine pattern, where I’ve heard that vocal intonation, where I’ve heard that guitar sound before. Section 25′s main claim to fame is their presence as an early and relatively long lasting Factory Records band. And it is towards that label that much of the trainspotting ends up being directed, particularly at acts such as The Durutti Column and Tunnelvision. Fringe-goth synth-pop rears up in ‘Mirror’ while some of the Cure’s lesser mid-80s album tracks are ghosted in ‘Agenda’, with the addition of some horrible lead guitar that Robert Smith would never have stooped to. There are also glimpses of some of the bands that grew out of this era – ‘Remembrance’ could almost be an electro-ed Darling Buds and Larry Cassidy’s vocals continually hint at Shaun Ryder, no more so than on the pop hooks of ‘L’Arte Du Math’ or sometimes sub-Madchester groups like Northside on ‘Singularity’ with unimaginative drum programming and more polite production.
Nature + Degree is earnest. I’m sure there is a heyday in there of which the original members are eager to remind the world, and when they do hit on the odd killer vocal or bass hook, the music is enjoyable. On the whole, however, it feels like listening to a long lost recording from a past era, of which the passing of time has not been particularly kind.
Adrian Elmer
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