Sweet F.A.

Love And Rockets norrowly escaped death to finish recording SWEET F.A. The studio they were using--located in one of American Recordings president, Rick Rubin's houses, the same one where the Red Hot Chili Peppers recorded BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIK--caught fire and destroyed all their equipment. Perhaps that experience helps explain why SWEET F.A. is full of such airy, dreamy pop songs. Vocalist/guitarist Daniel Ash isn't shy about soaking his voice and guitars with enough reverb to extinguish any material pop smolderings. It's as if when the fire broke out, The Jesus & Mary Chain showed up as firemen to squash the flames with their production values. SWEET F.A. marks a return to Love And Rockets' more traditional, ethereal pop sound, after dabbling in ambiance on 1994's HOT TRIP TO HEAVEN. While the songs have a sparse minimalist feel to them, this doesn't prevent the band from utilizing a variety of instruments--check out the bongos propelling "Sweet Lover Hangover," the pedal-steel on "Shelf Life," the string section that dresses up "Natcha" and the tripped-out synth on "Clean." There's also a number of harder songs with heavier beats, including the grooved-out "Fever," and the stomping "Here Come The Comedown."