Blow

by Andy Kellman Lorry fans might've approached this record with trepidation after taking a gander at the neo-rave artwork of Blow. Had they done a 180 degree head spin, opting to give up their early, Factory-like doom in favor of peace and happiness? Not a chance, as Blow is another 45-minute bummer. The LP does, however, show a band progressing musically. The Lorries' muddled sound is all but done away with, and the band doesn't play on top of each other as much as they had in the past. Chris Reed's vocals rarely reach above a detached, half-awake state, and there's not a great deal of tempo variation throughout. It seems they were more desperate than ever to shed their Joy Division comparisons. They're still gloomy, doomy, and a little murky, but they're not quite as exciting or immediate as they were in their earlier days. Nonetheless, those who dread their fruitless part-time employment at Cinnabon -- the ones who wish they'd been born in the 17th century, anyway -- will surely find solace in Blow.