(Track from EP, "Breathe" from album, "Living With The Worry Fish")
Cuff, a little known British band, whose untimely disbanding in 2000 cost the world knowledge of their debut album, and, ultimately, their musical talent. Its a real shame and, frankly, this alternative 90s collective would have been hugely successful if only their Tony Visconti produced sounds had reached the shelves of HMV before the band itself dissolved, leaving everyone oblivious to their existence...
After discovering the band through a friend very close to a member of the group, I found the album, Cuff's only one, available for download on NoiseTrade, a free, legal platform for up and coming artists (and, apparently, those who have come and gone) a link to which, is provided below. The album, "Living With The Worryfish" was a great listen, and a real mixed bag in terms of different sounds and influences, opening with the Radiohead-esque "Dig A Little Deeper", continuing onto the Verve-like "Suicide", and finding the listener lost in the pleasing rock 'n' roll confusion of "Yellowmaddacoolivision", one of three Cuff tracks released commercially as A-sides to unsuccessful singles; and from this wide array of alternation, you get the sense that the creativity behind the band was very versatile...
"This Is Not For Sale" is a culmination of all the different atmospheric effects on the previous tracks, resulting in something, ultimately, perfect and unique. The lyrics are in keeping with those of the indie genre in the late 90s, moody and cultured with some great poetic lines and emotional statements. The sound is really great, and commercially viable the whole way; you know this band would have been very successful in the charts. The bass is very funky in places (especially on "Breathe" the main event on this EP) and even in this song, it does more than just sit in the corner, providing a sonic backdrop. The rhythm guitar churns out chords, and the lead is exotic and winding in a Happy Mondays/New Order/Cud/Ned's Atomic Dustbin kind of fashion. The drums are great too, which, my friend will be pleased to hear; in all seriousness though, they do their job and more, like every element of this band.
I really like the whole package and, if you can get hold of any of the singles, a list of which are available at the band's Wikipedia page, they're great in their own right. Like any band, there are weaker songs and mild imperfections, but for the most part anyway, this was an incredible debut, and in fact, an even more incredible one-off.
So really, this isn't a review of a Cuff song, merely a pointer to the band for those who haven't heard of them, and in particular, this, one of the best songs they produced. You must go and download this album - its absolutely essential that you hear it and equally important that you rave out to it; its a great alternative rock effort and the epitome of the sound around at this time.
Alongside the break-up of The Beatles, the dissolution of the Morrissey/Marr songwriting partnerhsip and the untimely end of Nirvana, Cuff's silence and ignore presence from the rest of the world is arguably one of music's biggest tragedies. the album is brilliant, and this song is especially good. I'd go as far as to say it was what everyone wanted from Radiohead after "The Bends", but that would be unfair. Its got more attitude, its louder, and its emotional, calculated and talented to the end.
So, I don't to look like a complete and utter boot-licker, but, at the end of the day, its amazing. And that, is it.
★★★★
Versions of "This Is Not For Sale"
Album/EP Version - 4:26