proffered: perhaps pitchfork's poorest piece?

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Delta 5
Singles & Sessions 1979-81
[Kill Rock Stars; 2005]
Rating: 8.3

As the sound of British new wave began to brighten the industrial North during the late 1970s, the city of Leeds earned a reputation as a salient point of response to the country's chronic economic recession. Tightly knit groups such as Gang of Four, the Mekons, and Delta 5 rose out of the realms of Leeds' universities and provided a social platform for its particularly politicized students. Ros Allen and Bethan Peters, both on bass and vocals, originally formed Delta 5 because they "felt left out" of the city's burgeoning music scene, although this apparent caprice quickly developed into reality with the addition of deadpan vocalist Julz Sale, guitarist Alan Riggs, and one-time Gang of Four drummer Kelvin Knight.

Gang of Four received considerable recognition during this period, and they were name-checked throughout the recent post-punk revival. Despite Delta 5's musical similarity, the group remained on the sidelines, without much commercial success. This assortment of early Rough Trade singles, Peel sessions, and live recordings, shows just how effective the group's tense, barbed breed of dark pop was-- and it's a shame that this is only being fully recognized in hindsight. The disc opens with their first single and best known track, "Mind Your Own Business", and runs in chronological order through A and B sides, ending on an atypically visceral plea for individuality on "Colour". With their unusual, dub-heavy rhythmic section and acerbic stagger of triple female vocals, Delta 5 articulated a variety of textures and approaches to song structure. Riggs' guitar is particularly striking, providing an expressive attack of tones that cut through the sharp social commentary with stingingly sweet precision. And while the vocals have a distinctly monochromatic and disdainful edge, they are never devoid of character and the dialogue between the women is carried by their assertively sarcastic wit. This paradox of astringency and humor provides rich yet unsentimental facets for topics ranging from infidelity and feminism to suspicion. Most importantly, though, this is music you can really dance to-- tracks such as "You" and "Triangle" practically command movement from the listener from the first insistent beat.

The purpose of Singles & Sessions is to document Delta 5's short existence in a coherent format, since most of their early vinyl is out of print. But the strength and vitality of this collection of songs is also a point of frustration. Had this been released as the group's album in 1981, instead of the over produced and comparatively weak See The Whirl?, Delta 5 would have created a debut as impressive and culturally resonant as Entertainment!. As it is however, this excellent compilation has given new life to a brief, great band almost lost within the fug of post-punk's prolific heyday.

-Mia Lily Clarke, January 25, 2006

― Dan Gr (certain), Thursday, 26 January 2006 19:57 (twenty years ago)

Perhaps pontificating proves poster's personal pudness.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:00 (twenty years ago)

i like "lost within the fug"

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:00 (twenty years ago)

maybe a little dry, but what's actually "poor" about it?

― Dominique (dleone), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:02 (twenty years ago)

the fact that its a history lesson, not a review?

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:05 (twenty years ago)

fitting for a historical release - wazzuh problem?

― senseiDancer (sexyDancer), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:08 (twenty years ago)

is it that unusual to talk about the history of a band in a career-spanning compilation review? plus, the 2nd graph talks about, like, the music

x-post

― Dominique (dleone), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:10 (twenty years ago)

internet be fulla whiners shocker

― cancer prone fat guy (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:10 (twenty years ago)

i read that and learned some stuff about a band i've never heard.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:12 (twenty years ago)

i like this review. It has a lot of useful information, and gives me a good sense of what this band might sound like.

― twoheadedboy, Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:13 (twenty years ago)

these threads are so arbitrary.

― Zwan (miccio), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:14 (twenty years ago)

No one's yet mentioned the most notable thing about this review!

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:15 (twenty years ago)

what?

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:17 (twenty years ago)

zwan is otm... what the hell

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:17 (twenty years ago)

Google woogle!

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:18 (twenty years ago)

Boogle!

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:18 (twenty years ago)

E-mail notificadoodle!

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:18 (twenty years ago)

What, that Mia Clarke plays with Electrelane?

― twoheadedboy, Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:19 (twenty years ago)

missused the word "chronic?" what?

― senseiDancer (sexyDancer), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:20 (twenty years ago)

That it's not actually a PFM review?

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:21 (twenty years ago)

That Gang of Forage is culturally resonant?

― mcd (mcd), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:21 (twenty years ago)

Zwan otm. It really should not be that hard to find fish in a barrel. Yet...

― deej.. (deej..), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:21 (twenty years ago)

How is this a bad piece? Because it's straightforward and historically focused, and not obtuse, snarky, or condescending?

― fronke, Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:31 (twenty years ago)

Eh. The review gets a 7.5.

― js (honestengine), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:31 (twenty years ago)

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/b/byrds/notorious-byrd-brothers.shtml

http://pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/b/beach-boys/pet-sounds.shtml

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:34 (twenty years ago)

poorest pitchfork piece ever:

http://pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/p/pinback/blue-screen-life.shtml

and i fully blame the shit writer, not the website.

― cutty (mcutt), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:35 (twenty years ago)

and that was five years ago. hopefully that guy is writing for some college newspaper now.

― cutty (mcutt), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:37 (twenty years ago)

The only thing that irritates me in this review is a grammar error:

This assortment of early Rough Trade singles, Peel sessions, and live recordings, shows just how effective the group's tense, barbed breed of dark pop was-- and it's a shame that this is only being fully recognized in hindsight.

― Dan (Kill Superfluous "And"s) Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:38 (twenty years ago)

well, I certainly didn't expect it to be that.

― scott pl. (scott pl.), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:41 (twenty years ago)

The Basement Jaxx review is THE elephant in the room if you want poor Pitchfork reviews.

Heh. Everyone makes mistakes (feeling strangely grateful for their existence in a NME-gone-COMPLETELY OTT world). =)

― fandango (fandango), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:45 (twenty years ago)

Man, that dude shoulda been kidney punched for that Byrds review.

xpost

― JAS, Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:48 (twenty years ago)

what Byrds review?

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:57 (twenty years ago)

lol new pop

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:58 (twenty years ago)

Pitchfork's had many, many reviews worse than that.

― xavier mcshane (xave), Thursday, 26 January 2006 21:05 (twenty years ago)

I liked this review! I've only ever heard one Delta 5 song (someone posted "You" to the YSI thread, it's great) and I had absolutely no context to place it within. This was very helpful. I guess you could argue that historical info belongs in Allmusic bios rather than Pitchfork reviews, but whatever, this is light years beyond the worst Pitchfork has to offer.

― reddening (reddening), Thursday, 26 January 2006 21:09 (twenty years ago)

it's not James Joyce, but this Delta 5 one reads fine. though it's in direct contradiction to the one that said that the mine had run dry on reissues.

― brokeback titty sanskrit (sanskrit), Thursday, 26 January 2006 21:46 (twenty years ago)

ok i just re-read it:

Had this been released as the group's album in 1981....Delta 5 would have created a debut as impressive and culturally resonant as Entertainment!

this is kind of dubious, but I prefer overenthusiasm to crusty snark.

― brokeback titty sanskrit (sanskrit), Thursday, 26 January 2006 21:51 (twenty years ago)

i prefer mac and cheese to rice.

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 26 January 2006 21:52 (twenty years ago)

hank's black cherry soda to ibc black cherry soda.

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 26 January 2006 21:52 (twenty years ago)

She's gotta unlearn that Wire dustdry house style but maybe having relocated to Chicago will help.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Thursday, 26 January 2006 21:58 (twenty years ago)

why is this worth a thread, exactly? we're wasting valuable stupid JPG posting time.

― ZR (teenagequiet), Thursday, 26 January 2006 21:59 (twenty years ago)

we're wasting catty Pete Doherty discus time.

― brokeback titty sanskrit (sanskrit), Thursday, 26 January 2006 22:17 (twenty years ago)

Alliteration in the thread title is kinda cool.

― deej.. (deej..), Thursday, 26 January 2006 23:03 (twenty years ago)

-- Dan Gr (certai...), January 26th, 2006 2:57 PM. (later)

Is this a logout, or has our original poster disappeared without even a slight justification?

― Confounded (Confounded), Thursday, 26 January 2006 23:43 (twenty years ago)

http://www.sixmonthsofsolitude.org/images/akbar1.jpg

― Zwan (miccio), Thursday, 26 January 2006 23:49 (twenty years ago)

it's illegal to yell "pitchfork" in a crowded theater. arrest him!

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 26 January 2006 23:58 (twenty years ago)

The fact that anyone would complain about a website review that's informative instead of hands-wringingly masturbatory just boggles teh mind.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 27 January 2006 01:18 (twenty years ago)

I don't read pitchfork, so the constant furor of angry "how-dare-he's" that surround each new glistening tidbit on display leaves me forever nonplussed.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Friday, 27 January 2006 01:22 (twenty years ago)

it seems fine. the only writing i have consistent problems with on Pitchfork is Amy Phillips' just b/c i can't get the why (and I guess I don't have any other criteria) of it at all.

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Friday, 27 January 2006 01:33 (twenty years ago)

Complaining about Pitchfork is so 2001.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Friday, 27 January 2006 01:45 (twenty years ago)

As the sound of British new wave began to brighten the industrial North during the late 1970s

Hahahahahahahaha!!!! For fuck's sake!

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Friday, 27 January 2006 01:45 (twenty years ago)

Is this board a Pitchfork fansite?

Is there a street team I can get on?

― Inter-Pole, Friday, 27 January 2006 02:08 (twenty years ago)

http://www.monografias.com/trabajos5/virus/Image164.gif

http://images.hbpl.co.uk/BR/magazines/marketing.jpg

― brokeback titty sanskrit (sanskrit), Friday, 27 January 2006 04:03 (twenty years ago)

also, title of this thread: 9.2

― brokeback titty sanskrit (sanskrit), Friday, 27 January 2006 04:35 (twenty years ago)

Come on. That first sentence is just appalling. It makes no sense.
But the rest of it is harmless.

― snotty moore, Friday, 27 January 2006 08:45 (twenty years ago)

Umm ... is the alleged problem with the first sentence some English thing the rest of us wouldn't follow? I mean, it's clear and grammatical and all, so I'm assuming the skepticism is more, umm, historical.

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 27 January 2006 08:48 (twenty years ago)

Yeah it makes sense, it's just stretching a point til it breaks

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Friday, 27 January 2006 10:04 (twenty years ago)

It's extremely patronising (outside London? It's all mines and cotton mills and barefooted urchins on the street!) but the comical side of it was that I was trying to imagine the 'brightening effect' of, say, Joy Division...

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Friday, 27 January 2006 10:05 (twenty years ago)

come on, most of the north in 1979 will have been pretty drab (and with thatcher round the corner, about to get MUCH worse), though i agree that leeds's dourness is (almost always) overstated, as leeds has always been quite a vibrant university city

the review is fine, i hadnt heard of this band before

― terry lennox. (gareth), Friday, 27 January 2006 10:33 (twenty years ago)

ALLO GUVNAH FANCY A LISTEN TO ME DELTA 5?

http://x-stream.fortunecity.com/fleetst/71/miller9.gif

― brokeback titty sanskrit (sanskrit), Friday, 27 January 2006 12:45 (twenty years ago)

Ha ha, yes, the idea of post punk music "brightening" the industrial North is a bit silly (Gang of Four? Fall? Joy Division? Cabaret Voltaire???)

― Dittoismus (Dada), Friday, 27 January 2006 13:11 (twenty years ago)

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