LOVEBLOWS & LOVECRIES - A CONFESSION

"Loveblows & Lovecries - A Confession" is the debut full-length studo album by UK music act No-Man. The album was released through the One Little Indian Records label in May 1993. An US version was released in May 1994 through 550 Music in a slightly different format (featuring the bonus track "Taking It Like a Man" and a remix of the single "Days in the Trees"). No-Man is one of Steven Wilson´s (solo, Porcupine Tree, Blackfield...etc) many projects and a mini-album titled "Lovesighs ? An Entertainment" from April 1992 was the first major release by the band, although it compiles the band's previously released singles and b-sides from 1990 and 1991.

The material on "Loveblows & Lovecries - A Confession" is pretty similar in style to the material featured on "Lovesighs - An Entertainment". Electronic/ambient pop with Tim Bowness mellow and melancholic vocals in front. The drums are noteworthy for being very time typical and dancable 90s styled electronic rhythms. Most tracks are relatively formulaic with easily recognisable choruses and a definite commercial appeal. It´s not songs with big hooks, but rather the type of subdued melancholic electronic pop/pop oriented trip-hop which was very popular in the UK in the 90s (Everything But the Girl, the most pop oriented Massive Attack,...etc.).

The album is well produced, but considering what their contemporaries were doing and putting out, "Loveblows & Lovecries - A Confession" is a bit colourless and trite. It´s not a bad release by any means, but it´s not an album I remember much from once it stops playing. It´s pleasant while it plays, but soon becomes background music, because it seldom has much emotional impact. A 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted.

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