The Wedding Present released El Rey in May 2008. They were one of my wife's favourite bands when she was younger but they passed me by when they were at their best and I only knew of them because of the ongoing pisstaking by most of the writers at the Melody Maker which I would buy at an outragreously high price when I could find it in Canada. Because of this I used to think that they must be a terrible band which put me off listening to them.
We went to see them on their tour for the previous album and had a boogie to their older tunes and some of the newer ones from Take Fountain, the album before this. El Rey continues with David Gedge's caustic wit and songs about relationships (usually failing ones). His lyrics are as clever and funny as anyone else writing about relationships in indie music today.
Overall I think this album is more consistent than Take Fountain with fewer weak songs. The production is cleaner and El Rey feels more poppy and accessible. My favourites are 'Spider Man on Hollywood' and 'I love the monkey' and 'Model, Actress, whatever...' but each track flows well into the next making it an album you really need to here from beginning to end. My only minor complaint would be that I did find the song 'The trouble with men' a bit dull.
I guess the last laugh is on the Melody Maker as The Wedding Present is still around while they have disappeared.
Long may they run!
7/10
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