Lisa Germano: “Inconsiderate Bitch” (4AD)

At four seconds under twenty-six minutes this might really have been referred to as a mini-album in the sour old days of vinyl congestion but at least one of the good things about the change to C.D. is that with the singles format you get a lot more music for not too much more expense and with the, let’s call it, Inconsiderate Bitch E.P. it’s also a case of quality as well as quantity. Although none of the five songs go by the name ‘Inconsiderate Bitch’ the title does actually crop up in the first track, ‘Happiness’, an eight minute walkabout in a lurid and doleful violin-kissed sexiness which contains such beautiful epigrams as “Mum and Dad/Are like my head/I won’t listen to them/Until they’re dead/Or I’m dead/Inconsiderate Bitch” and “Happiness/Is like T.V./On or off/It’s up to me.” Unique, minimalist in instrumentation yet seductively atmospheric and very, very precious.