this is not pitchfork

I heard the song Bandages coming from my daughter’s room one day in late 2002 and I said “What is this? I must have it.” And I stole the CD from her. Don’t think I ever gave it back.

It’s very rare that I will instantly fall in love with an entire album, especially one from a band I never heard before. It usually takes many listens to accomplish that feeling of love. Does it work in the house, in the car, at work? Is it an album I’d play anywhere? Does it make me want to start it again as soon as it’s over? This one passed all the tests. It works everywhere. It’s driving music and working music, and it’s dancing music and thinking music. Make Up the Breakdown is what the Cure would sound like if Robert Smith took Prozac. It’s all 80’s post punk/new wave without the introspection of that genre.

This album is a restart button for my head. If I’m having a crappy day, I put this on and it feels like a fresh start. You can’t help but feel joy when you listen to this. In fact, this is what I was listening to one day when my coworker called me a “ray of fucking sunshine.” I had to think a bit about whether she really meant it or not, but it didn’t matter, because Oh, Goddamnit was on and it certainly was making me feel like a ray of fucking sunshine.