lambchops's Full Review: Wishville * by Catherine Wheel
There was a time in the early and mid 1990’s that British alt-rockers Catherine Wheel were regarded as something special and worth enjoying. But as the decade wore on, the band lost their appeal. Heck, they basically just disappeared from the musical landscape. Each album following 1993’s Chrome was progressively less appealing (excluding, of course, 1997’s Adam and Eve). And in the end, Catherine Wheel would have probably been better off never having released 2000’s Wishville.
This isn’t to say that Wishville doesn’t have a moment or two of interest, but on the whole it unfortunately sounds pale in comparison to the work the band was doing nearly a decade earlier. Both 1992’s Ferment and the aforementioned sophomore effort Chrome were very good although not quite perfect albums. The band quickly became famous for their welcoming, alt-rock/shoegazing style of music. And they also had some early US crossover Modern Rock hits with songs including Black Metallic, I Want To Touch You, and Crank (this is the point at which I first heard the music).
Even their third album, the mediocre Happy Days, gave a few hits in the form of Waydown and Judy Staring At The Sun. But Happy Days wasn’t such a happy time. It marked the beginning of the end for Catherine Wheel. The problem with their music wasn’t that it was bad really. Rather, it just didn’t forge ahead in any particular direction. Catherine Wheel didn’t grow and change enough for the liking of critics. The members seemed a bit too comfortable in their collective skin.
As the 1990’s wore to an end, Catherine Wheel continued plugging away at their music. Adam and Eve (1997) represented a change for the band and the critics took some notice. The album concentrated a bit more of the pop aesthetics, and as such it was a welcome release from the formerly half-heavy offerings. And for some reason unbeknownst to me, the band didn’t continue in that vein. Rather, they made what could only be a conscious u-turn and ended up beached on the median of mediocrity.
2000’s Wishville is a strange, strange bird. I went in to the album expecting something moderately entertaining but was instead handed nine songs that feel rushed, unfinished, and half-hearted. Strangely enough I’m confused as to whether this lackadaisical uninspiration was purposeful or rather it is the result of a band in their twilight. Wishville is short and boring—not at all the kind of album that fans hoped for. And most definitely, Wishville is the last place in the entire Catherine Wheel discography that probable fans should begin their journey.
Rob Dickinson (vocals, guitar), Brian Futter (guitar), Dave Hawes (bass), and Neil Sims (drums) do little to peak my interest on this particular outing. In fact, the truth of the matter is that Wishville sounds just like all the other pseudo-alt-rock of 2000. It is a shame that a formerly creative and even at times adventurous act sunk to the level already crowded by sound-alike Frankenstein’s monsters like Collective Soul, Goo Goo Dolls, and a horde of other once-rockers. But the problem isn’t just with the mushy music, it also rests with Dickinson’s uncharacteristically bad songwriting and for that matter the production of the album. On all counts, Wishville is bad. It’s the kind of album that shouldn’t have happened. And for that matter, it sours my view of Catherine Wheel’s earlier and infinitely better releases—and unless they can turn around and once again resurface with something at least half-way decent then this is the unfortunate final impression.
I’ve clearly stated that Wishville is bad, but occasionally I see flashes of what could have been with this album. But in the context of the disc, these slightly improved efforts leave me confused and with a bitterness boiling up from my gut and spilling into my mouth. If listeners can manage to strip away the layers of heavy production and unnecessarily bombastic guitars they too will see that Lifeline is an example of a decent offering that’s overwhelmed by an attempt to rock when in reality rock isn’t at all necessary. I’m also a bit fascinated by the lighter, stranger, and even somewhat touching All of That. But nothing here portrays in any way a band at their apex.
Most of what is here is absolutely forgettable. Catherine Wheel treads water somewhere between rock blandness and pop schlock. From the opening notes of modest hit single Sparks Are Gonna Fly on, I’m struck by the band’s attempt at being something they are not. This song is pop disguised as wishy-washy rock. Admittedly the melody is at first interesting, but as the song continues it is nothing but repetitive and bland. But since that’s what so many “rock” fans and kids are interested in, I’m not at all surprised that it got some chart attention.
Nothing better can be said for the songs that follow (aside from Lifeline and All of That). Gasoline is drowning in overly produced guitars and Dickinson’s fey vocals. But instead of using his usually strong voice creatively, it is clearly derivative of Johnny Rzeznik. A has-been rocker copying a has-been rocker. What is the music world coming to?
As Wishville continues, it gets more difficult to take. What We Want to Believe In sounds like every other bit of modern rock out there. And this similarity to all those other bands is what confounds me. They once had their own sound. Heck, they did just a few years earlier! So what happened… The answer is not contained anywhere here. Idle Life and Mad Dog do zero to boost my opinion of this disc. The former is difficult to listen to. At first, the song sounds like Catherine Wheel is desperately TRYING to be Pink Floyd (heck, the cover actually resembles that of Ummagumma) but the as the track continues I find myself offended aurally by the off-tune melody and song. This is the worst thing on the disc. Hands down. There is NO place for Pink Floyd mixed with Verve Pipe. Mad Dog on the other hand is just boring.
The final two songs are a really horrid way to wrap things up. Ballad of a Running Man is once again off-tune and difficult to digest. Crème Caramel just lacks direction and purpose—oh yeah, and possesses an awful set of lyrics. Seriously. If you can make something of these first four lines, you deserve a cookie:
Creme caramel, shy and shivering
Ring my bell so well
There's something moving slowly over us
Doesn't matter what you think or where you go
But at least it doesn’t HURT like some of the other offerings. In all Wishville just doesn’t do a damn thing for me. It is just nine songs long for a reason. I guess if this is the best that Catherine Wheel can do, then I don’t want to hear the rest of the song that were left off. Just don’t listen to Wishville. That is, unless you have a leaning toward sadomasochism.
Rating: 1.5/5 stars
Track Listing:
1. Sparks Are Gonna Fly
2. Gasoline
3. Lifeline
4. What We Want to Believe In
5. All of That
6. Idle Life
7. Mad Dog
8. Ballad of a Running Man
9. Creme Caramel
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