November 20, 2001

Single Of The Week, Spiritualized : Out Of Sight

Yet another song almost certainly not about drugs...

Yet another song almost certainly not about drugs fromJason Pierce, a man so spectacularly wry he even named his daughter Poppy. "Out of sight is always out of mind/ I think out of mind is out of sight," he begins, with the satisfaction of someone who's just finished a rather tricky crossword. In fairness, though, he has every right to be pleased with himself: 'Out Of Sight' sees the sacred rites of rock'n'roll re-enacted on a colossal scale, with all the emotional potency, raw power and dextrous wordplay still intact. As the 800 musicians surge forward again and again - big shout out to the trumpets here -Pierce sounds determined to get his money's worth from every last one of them.
Talking of value, those wanting more are directed to the superb new B-side, 'Going Down Slow'. An orchestral-country prayer in the vein of 'The Straight And The Narrow', it features Pierce pleading with old mate the Lord to let him "be foolish, 'cos when men are wise they're not satisfied." Wisdom would've made him save a song as good as this for the next album, of course, but then the contrary git would have less of an excuse to spend four years on it. Geniuses: who'd have 'em?

John Mulvey

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