"America is not the World" is pathetic.
Well, I have at last in my hand a copy of YATQ (the things I had to go through to get it ....), and the verdict is ... well ... mixed.
The problem begins at track one - "America is not the World" is a four minute cliche set to music. It's pathetic. Not that I disagree with the overall sentiment, but if after all the time he's spent there the most intelligent insights he can offer into American society revolve around hamburgers and large bellies, I'd sooner listen to a Rage Against the Machine record to get my dose of faux-radical politics, and that is saying something! And the tune's utterly insipid. A profoundly disappointing start. Can you believe the man who penned "The Queen is Dead" is responsible for this? He must have written it in all of five minutes.
Considering he's had seven years to work on it and he doesn't write the music himself, I find the album a bit of a lyrical disappointment, truth be known. What the hell has he been doing with his time??
The highlight for me is the slowed-up "Crashing Bores". In contrast to the above I think it's close to the most profound and delightful thing he's done in his entire solo career. The second half of "Jesus" is fantastic too. "You Know I Couldn't Last" rounds out the album on a high. "IBEH" we know has been finely produced to the point of being an absolute delight, likewise "First of the Gang", and "I like You" scrubs up pretty well too.
But it strikes me there's a lot of musical and lyrical filler here. "Camden" just waffles listlessly, and "Lazy Dykes" I found almost unlistenable. "I'm not Sorry" and "Let me Kiss You" probably warrant further listen, but they haven't really hooked me thus far.
In all, I think I'd place it between "Southpaw Grammar" and "Your Arsenal" on my scale of solo stuff, which is not bad - but given the seven year break I'd expected so much more.
