The Auteurs New Wave Rare
With their 1993 debut album,, established themselves as one of England's best guitar bands of the early '90s. Driven by the bittersweet, ironic songwriting of, the band's carefully crafted, three-minute pop songs are in the vein of,, and, particularly the songs of. Yet never sound like imitators -- they combine their influences into a signature sound, distinguished by ' sharp lyrics and sighing melodies. [3 Loop's 2014 reissue features remastered sound and 22 additional tracks, including B-sides, acoustic versions, demos, and a BBC session. Provides liner notes.].
The Auteurs: New Wave (Expanded Edition) ( / ) 2CD / DL Out now The Auteurs were always basically a vehicle for Luke Haines and this, New Wave, was that band’s debut release. Now reissued and expanded the man himself claims “Some 21 years later and the album still sounds great. There is not a note that I would change.” Ged Babey goes back to the Nineties for Louder Than War.
Many New Wave films contain clearly autobiographical elements (as is the case with Demy’s Lola and Truffaut’s Antoine Doinel cycle, for example), and more generally, they represent personal, artistic, even philosophical creations. Background: 'New Wave' evolved from 'Punk' in the late '70s being less anti-social and more radio (and MTV) friendly, hitting it's high in '83 and faded around '87. It can be best described as mixing the energy of Punk with a bit of 'Glam', 'Pop', 'Art-Rock' & 'Dance' and relied heavily on synthesizers.
It was on his next album that Luke Haines finally came clean and admitted, “I’m in cahoots with the Upper Classes,” but “there’s nothing wrong with inherited wealth, if you melt (down) the silver yourself”. He was, and still is, a rum bugger is Haines. One of Englands finest and funniest lyricists he may be, but also one of the most baffling. He has obsessions which ingrain themselves into his different song lyrics and become a kind of thematic narrative.
On this album it was Fame and Class. New Wave seemed to arrive fully formed and narrated by a foppish character who was a Child Star from a well-to-do background who finds himself in reduced circumstances. Showgirls, valets and resting actors all inhabit the bohemian world of New Wave.
“Mother died in re-hab when I was born,” he sings in one song, she was a seamstress in another. After lost-years-as-an-actor he finds work valet parking (I’m sick of parking cars, he whines) but ends up as a housebreaker. There’s a beautifully paced series of episodes in the imaginary life of the pale and wan, former child-star who exercises daily in the old backyard. But it works, and it’s great, a classic, majestic album.
Suede’s debut was dashing and sexy but New Wave was seductive and masterful. Haines image or look at the time, long blond hair and velveteen jackets, went with the superior air that he had.
Cellos instead of power chords set the musical scene. He was a little Lord Fauntelroy full-grown (and with a new French girlfriend on his arm) and had the air of a young Malcolm MacDowell (there’s something vaguely indecent about you Travis). He was haughty and punchable in the flesh, but the songs made up for it. Ray Davies and Morrissey are usually mentioned at this point by way of lazy comparisons The persona though, the character was pure invention, not the real Luke Haines at all, apparently. A friend of mine from Portsmouth remembers being in the same class as him at Portmouth Poly. “He was quite funny, quiet, one of the Goths y’know,” which in Pompey terms mean he wasn’t into the Clash and Medway Punk like everyone else. Touring the toilet circuit in 1993 The Auteurs played the Joiners and were magnificent; like a cross between The Smiths and the Velvet Underground.
When I reviewed them I did a two-fer one piece on another new band who played the same week and had also just released their debut LP and were also very good too. More stadium post-punk poseurs though who sounded like U2 with Sting on vocals imitating Nirvana; Radiohead they were called. The Auteurs were better, they didn’t have to try so hard. Something that sticks in my mind about The Auteurs gig was the fact that Haines was accompanied pre-performance by a Kylie lookalike with model looks and demeanour. Graham from local band The Bloodsisters and I spent the evening waving to her, from the other side of the bar, going Coo-ee and giggling like schoolboys whilst she found interesting things to stare at on the ceiling and floor, desperate to ignore us, pouting angrily and consequently making us do it all the more. Soul 4 real for life rarely provides. 