Blow-Up - The Kerbstones Turn to Moss

So middle-of-the-road it’s almost a white line with gaps

Reissues of indie nearly-men tend to come with press releases claiming they were The Beatles of their generation, scuppered by bad luck. That’s the whiff of Blow- Up’s familiar story. They fell between stools – too rock for the post-C86 shoegazers, too tight for the baggies. The most memorable tunes, especially 1987’s debut single Good For Me, bore taught guitar lines, Byrds-esque harmonies and an energetic live sound. As their career progressed, however, they went a bit baggy, without having the swagger or frontman to pull it off, resulting in tunes that were often too long and ponderous. Sure, there were moments when it seemed fate was against them. The standout track from their second album was World, but the combination of the words “Blow-Up”, “World” and the first Gulf War meant the BBC refused to play the single.

Really, their story isn’t about bad luck – it’s about good luck. Their career was sparked by Bobby Gillespie remarking on frontman Nick Roughley’s resemblance to Gerard Malanga; they were temporarily championed by Alan McGee; they spent time with Creation and Cherry Red; they released two albums, a hatful of singles and bagged positive reviews from Sounds, Melody Maker and NME. All this, despite being rather average.

2 stars 2 stars

Cherry Red | CDM RED 404

Reviewed by Jono Scott
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