Sittin’ Pretty

1989’s Sittin’ Pretty was recorded by a band nearing the end of their time together — soon after, The Pastels split down the middle, with Stephen Pastel and Aggi separating from the rest of the band. That might explain the strange tension in parts of Sittin’ Pretty, as though the album hasn’t quite found its true metier, but there are a number of Pastels’ classics here, none more so than the fierce, hypnotic boy/girl duet of “Nothing to Be Done.” Elsewhere, the songs are full of mournful longing (“Baby, You’re Just You”) and romantic indignance (“Ditch The Fool”), drenched in fuzzed-out guitars and buzzing pop drones; there are also some glorious moments where they sound like a Glasgow tenements take on the New York Dolls (“Sit On It Mother”).