Cog Sinister Us
2002
Shift-Work
About This Album
Shift-Work marked the sophomore effort from a new Brix Smith-less Fall, and is a slightly more subdued effort than the raging Extricate. It also marked a new direction for Mark E. Smith and the band as what was once repetitious groove became interspersed with pop song structures. Don't worry, the classic riffage is still here in "The War Against Intelligence," "Idiot Joy Showland," and "So What About It." But there does seem to be a softening of Smith, albeit slightly. He still rails against foolish pop stars, mass media, and the spawn of the Manchester scene (side two is headed "Notebooks Out Plagiarists") but also here are paeons to Edinburgh ("Edinburgh Man," surprisingly malice-free), social observation ("Shift Work" looks at a modern marriage and is more wistful than angry), and an electronics-and-violin-led portrait of a DJ ("The Mixer"). What's probably most surprising, in retrospect, is that most of this works, although it begins to run out of steam near the end. There are hooks and melodies here, and the group ineffably remain the Fall. The following year's Code: Selfish would return to a much harder sound, leaving this a melancholic, introspective album. [The CD was reissued in 2002 with two bonus tracks: "Blood Outta Stone," and "Xmas with Simon."] ~ Ted Mills, All Music Guide
Track List (try tracks 3,4,8,9,11,14 and 16)

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