The artwork for The Wedding Present’s El Rey is filled with photos of Hollywood at dusk. But its cover shot features a fleabag motel, not some ritzy rock star hang out. And in the same way visibility is slightly impaired at dusk, this aural perspective on tinsel town is a hazy one at best, with its emphasis on relationships gone bad set against a movie town backdrop. During “Palisades,” singer/songwriter David Gedge practically cries, “You don’t love me anymore.” Then on “Spider Man on Hollywood,” Gedge has his star search results badly dashed. “I thought I saw a super model, but she had hair where I don’t think she should.” Many of the CD’s song titles are colored with specific SoCal references, including “Santa Ana Winds,” “Palisades,” and “The Thing I like Best about Him Is His Girlfriend [Santa Monica and La Brea Version],” but most of these harsh romantic issue songs could have taken place almost anywhere. Okay, “Model, Actress, Whatever” would only make sense within this unique mad rush for fame subset. But you don’t have to be a waiter/actor or casting couch wannabe to appreciate El Rey. You only need a broken heart history. Co-producer Steve Albini gives The Wedding Present all the sonic punch needed to make these electric guitar strum fests come to life. Listen, as Gedge explains why Hollywood is sometimes called Holly-weird.
--Dan MacIntosh [June 2, 2008]
