SEBADOH: “Bakesale” (Domino)

Melancholy is the word. There is an aching and a yearning about Sebadoh, a sense that they have lost something precious, and are not sure if they want to find it again. What we are offered is a journey into the inner circle of love and love affairs.Nothing is perfect by any means. Things fall apart as quickly as they are held.

This could be all very self-obsessed and boring, and indeed at times it is. However, Sebadoh manage to rise above the mundane by delivering some beautiful melodies, some passionate determined singing, and a willingness to push forward musically the standard love song form.

Along the way they do indeed tread a morose road. Lines like: “I’m not attractive today . . . It feels good just to bitch about it . . . I’m not a good friend/I’m not a friend at all . . . When will you be through with me I’d like to know . . . Nothing thrills you like denial . . . ” are all a bit navel gazing. (Perhaps the Sebadoh lads need a good old work-out with Henry Rollins to sweat out all their angst and latent anger?)

You could say that there is a genuine honesty and sincerity in all these songs, but it wouldn’t matter a bollocks were it not for the fact that Sebadoh occasionally realise the important fact that they are musicians and not morticians. Songs like ‘Skull’, ‘Dreams,’ ‘Together Or Alone’ and ‘Mystery Man’ are really beautiful.

The problem is that neither the world nor Sebadoh themselves ever live up to their own idealist expectations. Mostly, such a realisation is shared in a negative, defeated way, though on a song such as ‘Dreams,’ there is at least an acknowledgement that somewhere within human experience purity of thought and behaviour still remains: “In my dreams I react as my true self . . . In my dreams I walk with my true friends.”

The old saying that “In dreams begin responsibilities” is as true today as it ever was. Dreams can be a handy escape from facing up to reality and making out of it the best that can be made. Perfection is a great and dangerous myth. If Sebadoh could throw away some of the misery that so weighs down Bakesale,they could produce an album to warm hearts and help us hum our way through the day.

Hopefully.

• Gerry McGovern