Saturday, July 01, 2023

Track Of The Day: Scritti Politti - Hypnotize (Warner Bros)


Scritti Politti had a great run in the early eighties to early nineties before disappearing from pubic life only to sporadically re-emerge in the noughties to no great acclaim. And the period from ‘The Sweetest Girl’ to ‘The Word Girl’ represents their strongest run of form. I say “their”’ however, Scritti Politti is Green Gartside, just as the Fall were Mark E. Smith. So, after the paradigm shift that was ‘The Sweetest Girl’ the brain behind ‘Skank Bloc Bologna’ was consumed by the spotlessly clean pop/disco of the early eighties and used it as a backdrop for a very singular approach to electronic balladry. ‘Hypnotize’ is by no means their most accomplished work, but it’s definitely one of their funkiest, and it has a great video in which Green looks like he’s a member of the cast of a Jane Austin fan film.

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