Reviews Spiders - February 1997 - Imprint

Karsten W. Gitter

Riding the waves of their extremely successful debut album Spiders in the UK, Liverpool's Space has brought their act to North America. Though the market has been flooded by Brit pop recently, Space should have absolutely no problem setting themselves apart from the mediocre masses. Thanks to its unique mix of sounds, Space's first full-length release offers a pleasant break from the average guitar rock … la Beatles.

Putting a finger on the band's sound proves virtually impossible, as the band incorporates a wide variety of sounds into their music. Though manifested by the traditional drums, guitar and bass, Space ventures deep into the world of techno sampling, only to inject some serious glockenspiel, yes, glockenspiel into the next segment. A stirring cocktail of jazz, Latin-tinged ska, xylophones and timpani also characterizes the band's first American single release, "Female of the species." Having hit the big time in the UK by selling close to one million copies of that single, the band has recently received some heavy rotation on local radio stations.

Space's vocals, alternating between bassist Tommy Scott and guitarist Jamie Murphy, only underline the band's uniqueness. But especially Scott, whose vocal array ranges from crooning like Frank Sinatra in "Dark Clouds" to imitating Speedy Gonzales in "Neighbourhood", gives each song a distinct and very entertaining feel.

Once you've absorbed Space's sound, try paying some closer attention to the lyrics. Bored with the regular "I met a girl and she's in love with me and I feel fine," Scott expresses more interest in "I met a girl and she's in love with me, so she poisoned my entire family." Accordingly, Space has England's Prime Minister John Major selling Ecstasy to the Russians in "Major Pager," the local vicar acting as a serial killer in "Neighbourhood" and Mickey Mouse screwing Minnie in "Charlie M."

Also, be sure to let the CD play on after the last track to catch a hidden track offering some sound relationship advice which might not sit too well with any of Space's male fans who value their testicles.

So if you're bored with the regular radio-mumbo-jumbo, Space offers a true alternative. Upbeat, unique and amusing, Spiders is thoroughly entertaining. Ranging from straightforward rock ("Voodoo Roller") to cinematic pop ("Me and You Versus the World") to blasting techno ("Growler"), Space covers all terrains with astonishing finesse.

And if you buy the album right now, you will receive a second CD containing the original UK version of "Female of the species," an instrumental version of it, and two more songs previously only released in the UK.

Original Article available here
Source: Imprint