Spike Fuck: evidence (oxblood coloured vinyl) LP

For ten years Spike Fuck has existed more as a messy myth than an artist; sporadic works forever poised on the precipice of triumph, rumours of death or insanity and so on. Spike's mission is to distill the sacred and profane, balancing the melancholy and humour of life; "to be alive is to be traumatised". Luckily, the devotion to his music persevered, somewhat bolstered by his inconsistency and inaccessibility. This inexplicable goodwill towards his artistry is perhaps partly due to Spike's timeless, pained and confessional lyricism, though more pointedly, the fragility of a life mired in addiction. Free from his arresting thoughts, "evidence", the long anticipated debut album, is a brazen proof of life statement. The record honours the presence in body, a record to be felt, never to be rationalized. The material on "evidence" touches on elements of new wave, glam, soul and doo-wop, citing Pere Ubu, New York Dolls, The Temptations and Bettye Swann as key influences. Melodically it emits the energy of a down-and-out CBGBs band who cashes in by recording a lucrative Christmas album.