Contra UK
2000
Rising For Sunset
About This Album
It's a strange move. After the critical and public antipathy towards Gene's third proper studio album Revelations, the band packed their bags, flew to Los Angeles to play some small shows, and recorded their performances for a live album. Strangest of all, this is one of Gene's best releases. More bands should be this peculiar. Though they're playing in a venue more the size of a swimming pool than an airport hangar, they sound absolutely wonderful: "Where Are They Now?" is more subtly elegant than ever; "Speak to Me Someone" reaches an unstoppable, euphoric crescendo. Hearing a bunch of Californians singing along to "London, Can You Wait?" or "The British Disease" is also amusing. The album only sags during the repetitive "Mayday" (and sadly lacks the new song"Who Said This Was the End?"). While guitarist Steve Mason is inevitably compared to The Smiths' Johnny Marr, these performances prove that Mason's playing is much more fluid and wistful than Marr's hard-lined melodic style. At times, as on "As Good As It Gets'" rolling bridge, it's actually far more effective than anything the Smiths recorded. It helps that the new songs sound promising for a band relegated to "always the bridesmaid" status: the string-driven title-track and the delicate finale "Somewhere in My World" are fitting teases for things to come. A year after the world considered the band down and out, Gene are still alive and kicking with grace. Martin Rossiter jokingly tells the crowd a few times during the concert, "Oh shut up," but fans listening to Rising for Sunset can know how much the band deserves to hear the opposite. ~ Dean Carlson, All Music Guide
Track List (try tracks 2,4,9,12 and 14)

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